Mentor

Media titan Sir Martin Sorrell joins Rachel Forde and Marco Bertozzi (founders of TheZoo.London) for a look into advertising’s past, present and AI-powered future. From the real origin of WPP (“Wire & Plastic Products”) to the strategy behind S4 Capital / MediaMonks, Martin breaks down holding company models, the VML/JWT debate, why US scale still wins, and how AI will compress creative & production costs while rewarding brains over brawn.

Mentor is recorded at Viral Tribe Studios in Soho

Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome & Introducing Sir Martin Sorrell

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Season Two of Mentor is here! Join hosts Marco Bertozzi and Rachel Forde, founders of TheZoo.London, as they sit down with world-class leaders to uncover the people, stories, and experiences that shaped them. From Sir Martin Sorrell and Sir John Hegarty to Karen Blackett, Stephen Myron, and Bruce Daisley. Expect career wisdom you won’t find in any business book, but can use in real life.

Season Two launches Wednesday 1st October on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

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Lindsay Pattison, former Chief People Officer at WPP and past President of WACL, joins Rachel and Marco to reflect on a career defined by bold leadership, relentless energy, and championing inclusion. From pitches gone wrong to the power of sponsorship, Lindsay shares unfiltered wisdom on mentorship, confidence, taking leaps—and why she’s choosing to pause now. Plus, we go behind the scenes of her work with the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Chapters:

02:33 – Lindsay’s Career in 60 Seconds (Sort of!)

06:45 – From CEO to Chief People Officer: Career Milestones

08:36 – The Power of the Pause: Why Lindsay Stepped Down

11:08 – Behind the Scenes of the Women’s Rugby World Cup

13:36 – Mentorship vs Sponsorship: What's the Difference?

21:02 – Biggest Career Mistakes and What They Taught Her

29:11 – Return to Office & Bridging the Generational Gap

33:00 – Advice for Team Leaders: Building Culture & Connection

40:14 – Women, Confidence & Championing DEI

44:55 – Public Speaking Tips & Pitching Advice

46:15 – The Best Life Advice Lindsay Ever Received

47:47 – Building Your Ally Network & Taking the Leap

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Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment

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Steve King’s career reads like a playbook for leadership, longevity and bold decision-making. Marco and Rachel chat to the former Publicis COO, to learn about the pivotal moments, mistakes and mentors that shaped his four-decade journey through media and advertising. From selling earrings in Italy to managing 90,000 staff globally, Steve reflects on imposter syndrome, protecting time for family, and what it's really like working under Maurice Lévy. Plus, the one afternoon in his diary he never gave up — no matter what!

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Episode Chapters

01:24 Journalism vs AI: Make It Fair Campaign Explained

05:53 Introducing Steve King – A Masterclass in Leadership

08:48 From Donuts to Media – The Start of Steve’s Journey

13:29 Moving to America: Career Defining Moment

14:51 Dealing with Imposter Syndrome at the Top

20:44 Creating Zenith’s Global Identity – The ROI Agency

24:49 US vs UK vs French Leadership Styles

30:10 Building Publicis Media: Trust, Talent, Transformation

34:08 The Pandemic Years: Shingles, Solitude, and Publicis Survival

41:23 Why US Experience is Crucial for Future Leaders

43:19 What Steve Learned from Maurice Lévy and Arthur Sadoun

46:30 Balancing Work, Life and Rugby – Steve’s True Priorities

49:27 Magpie Advice: Simplify, Listen, Hire Smart

Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment: https://viraltribe.co.uk/

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What happens when a seasoned media exec switches lanes after 20 years, and nearly walks out after just one week? Rachel and Marco sit down with Dom Williams, Chief Revenue Officer at Mail Metro Media, to unpack the highs, lows, and truths of making bold career moves. From battling self-doubt to rebuilding confidence, transforming culture, and mentoring high-performance teams, Dom shares the lessons behind his rise and reinvention.

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Chapters:

00:00 Welcome & Intro to Dom Williams

02:18 Expanding Mail Metro Media in the US

05:06 20 Years at Dentsu – Why He Stayed So Long

08:24 The Leap from Agency to Sales – And Why He Almost Quit

10:57 Mentorship, Confidence & Rebuilding After a Tough Start

13:31 How Dom Leads High-Performing Teams Through Pressure

17:38 Culture First, Cash Second – Transforming Mail Metro

23:55 Learning from Mistakes: The Booking That Nearly Got Him Fired

32:13 Magpie Moments – Lessons Stolen From the Best

39:38 Best Advice Dom’s Ever Received & Reverse Mentoring Wins

Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment: https://viraltribe.co.uk/

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This week on Mentor, Rachel and Marco sit down with Jon O’Donnell, former MD of ESI Media, and founder of Viral Tribe Entertainment. From rave MC to running major newspapers to building a creative powerhouse in podcasting, Jon shares what he's learned about reinvention, decision-making, and rediscovering creative purpose later in life.

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Chapters:

02:00 – Jon’s 60-second life story

04:30 – Why starting Viral Tribe wasn’t the brave move

08:00 – Coming full circle back to creativity

13:30 – Big decisions at the Evening Standard & The Independent

17:45 – The biggest career mistake he ever made

22:00 – The importance of mentors (and surprising sources of inspiration)

38:00 – Athletic mindset meets business: hacks, habits & high performance

Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment: https://viraltribe.co.uk/

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Rachel and Marco sit down with Kathryn Jacob OBE – CEO of Pearl & Dean, co-author of three best-selling books, and one of the most thoughtful voices in British media. From her early career chaos with Chris Evans to her OBE-worthy work on inclusion, Kathryn shares honest, funny and insightful lessons on leadership, resilience, and knowing when to change your shoes (yes, literally and metaphorically).

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Chapters:
05:30 – Kathryn'ss Career in 60 seconds: Virgin Media, cinema, and more
08:00 – Getting an OBE (and nearly mistaking it for a tax demand)
10:00 – Creating cultures of inclusion and true belonging
12:00 – The power of mentorship and finding your “hand at your back”
18:00 – Biggest career fuck-up: wearing the wrong ‘shoes’
22:30 – Why “fitting in” isn’t the same as “belonging”
24:00 – Behind the books: The Glass Wall, Belonging, and Creativity
28:00 – Creativity, elitism, and letting go of the gatekeepers
31:00 – What real leadership looks like (hint: it’s not ego)
34:30 – Magpie moments: learning from others
36:50 – Final advice: if it doesn’t feel right, it might not be you

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What makes a great leader, and how do you recover from a truly career-defining mistake? In this episode, Marco and Rachel sit down with Karen Stacey, CEO of Digital Cinema Media and President of WACL, for a conversation on leadership, learning the hard way, and the surprising power of optimism. Karen shares her journey from skipping university to landing one of the most coveted roles in media, what she learned when a crucial contract went unsigned, and why leaders should be “the sunshine” in the room.

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Chapters

0:00 – Intro: Meet Karen Stacey

1:30 – How Do You Fit It All In?

4:00 – Leadership as the Weather

5:25 – What Makes a Great Leader?

10:00 – No Degree? No Problem 

17:00 – The Channel 4 Breakthrough 

20:00 – Holding Your Nerve 

25:15 – The Power of Positivity in Teams 

27:00 – CEO 101: Leading Without Burning Out 

30:00 – Get to Know Your P&L - Why financial fluency is essential

32:00 – Karen’s Biggest F*Up - The unsigned contract that taught her a lifelong lesson about detail and delegation.

36:00 – Magpie Moments: Karen’s philosophy of listening more than speaking

38:00 – Imposter Syndrome 

Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment: https://viraltribe.co.uk/

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Colin Gottlieb has shaped the media world for decades – but he’s not done yet. From building agencies to transforming LADbible, to collaborating with the Muhammad Ali Center and exploring AI’s future, Colin shares stories and career-defining advice with Marco and Rachel.

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Chapters:

02:20 – Meet Colin Gottlieb: Media icon and restless innovator

03:30 – Career in 60 Seconds (ish): From TBS to the top

09:00 – The origin story of Manning Gottlieb Media

13:00 – Taking the leap: Conviction, courage, and starting an agency

17:00 – The Omnicom acquisition & the power of staying focused

21:00 – Why change is opportunity (and how to spot it)

23:30 – The Muhammad Ali Center & Colin’s spiritual side

25:30 – Transforming LADbible & embracing the future

30:00 – Collaboration, creativity, and client-first thinking

33:20 – AI agents, future tools, and creating efficiency

36:30 – What to do when you get ghosted (and how to stay relevant)

39:30 – Colin’s advice to those considering the leap

42:30 – Colin’s biggest f***-up (and what he learned)

Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment: https://viraltribe.co.uk/

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In this episode of Mentor, Rachel and Marco sit down with media legend and ITV exec Simon Daglish – or Dags, as he’s known across the industry. From raising £1 million for charity, to going bankrupt, Dags shares the raw truth about resilience, leadership, failure, and finding purpose in adversity.

Chapters

00:00 – Meet Dags: Media Legend, Charity Founder, Polar Explorer

05:36 – From Millionaire to Bankrupt: The Hardest Lesson

12:00 – Leading with Trust: Why You Shouldn't Do It All

17:30 – Run Towards Adversity: The Story Behind Walking With the Wounded

20:40 – Yes, That’s Prince Harry… and a Muff

23:15 – Degrees Don’t Matter: What Really Makes You Employable

30:00 – Project 84: Turning a Statistic Into a Movement

33:55 – The Power of Real Conversations and TV Storytelling

38:30 – Listen to the Little Guy: Staying Connected as a Leader

42:15 – Feed Them, Entertain Them: The Morrisons Moment

48:00 – Regrets, Resilience, and Radiators vs. Drains

50:00 – Final Advice from Richard Curtis (and Dags)

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Produced by Viral Tribe Entertainment

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