Spikes Excitement Talks

What does it take to disrupt one of the world’s oldest industries?

In this episode, Maik Hofmann sits down with Bastian Gierull, CEO of Octopus Energy Germany, for a conversation about startups, innovation, leadership, climate change and the mindset needed to transform an entire market.

Bastian shares the journey that took him from marketing and e-commerce through telecommunications and a series of startups to the energy industry and explains why he was drawn to Octopus Energy’s ambition to challenge an established market.

From growing Octopus Germany from just a few thousand customers to one million, to building technology that is now used by other energy companies, Bastian talks openly about what excites him most: freedom, responsibility, non-conformity and the willingness to fail, learn and try again.

The conversation also explores why Bastian believes the energy transition can no longer wait, how technology can accelerate change, and why Octopus sees itself not simply as an energy supplier, but as an energy tech company. At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea: the future isn't something we should keep talking about. It is something we need to build now.

Tune in to hear why the energy transition needs action today, why failure is essential to innovation, and how challenging the status quo can create better outcomes for customers, businesses and the planet.

What if plastic waste could become currency for clean water, education, healthcare, connectivity—and a pathway out of poverty?

In this episode, Maik Hofmann sits down with David Katz, founder of Plastic Bank, to explore a radically different approach to business, marketing and social impact. David shares how Plastic Bank turns discarded plastic into a resource that helps people in impoverished communities access essential services while creating a circular supply chain for global brands.

But this conversation goes far beyond plastic. David talks about entrepreneurship, leadership, self-actualization, purpose and what it means to create the conditions for other people to change the world. He challenges the traditional idea of success and explains why, for him, business is ultimately about service, aliveness and creating prosperity for everyone involved.

Tune in for a powerful conversation about turning waste into opportunity, purpose into action, and business into a force for meaningful change.

What if AI isn’t the story but the relationship between humans and machines is?

In this unusual airport episode, Dom Heinrich joins Maik Hofmann for a fast-moving conversation about creativity, technology, design and the future of our industry. Dom brings more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of creativity and technology, from his early days as an art director and creative technologist to his work in AI, design intelligence and innovation.

Today, as Co-Founder of Creative AI Academy, Global Head of Design Intelligence at The Coca-Cola Company and Professor for AI Design at Pratt, Dom has a front-row seat to the transformation taking place around AI. But his perspective is refreshingly different from the usual AI conversation, he argues that we are still thinking too linearly about the technology  and that the real opportunity lies in understanding AI as a new kind of collaborator. Rather than trying to make machines more like humans, we need to understand what makes humans uniquely valuable.

Tune in for a inspiring chat about AI, creativity and the future of human-machine collaboration.

What happens when marketing stops being the “decoration at the end of the value chain” and becomes a genuine lens into the market?

In this episode, Gordon Euchler talks with David Krampe, Head of Marketing & Sales Enablement Europe North at Michelin, about connecting the things organizations too often keep apart: technology and customers, data and human behavior, strategy and execution, and marketing and sales.

David shares how his career in a highly technical, engineering-driven environment taught him to translate technology into tangible customer value  and why marketing needs to earn its place at the table early in the process.

Rather than asking whether AI will replace people, David argues for a more useful question: How can AI help people focus on what humans do best? From sharper customer insights to better coaching and less friction in sales and marketing, the opportunity is not simply greater efficiency but more human connection. They also explore what companies can learn from the explosive growth of AI businesses, the organizational chaos that can accompany hypergrowth, and why curiosity and adaptability may matter more than ever.

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation about making technology work for people and using AI not to make commercial organizations less human, but more human.

What does it take to build a marketing career across Italy, France, Luxembourg, India and China and still stay curious about every new culture and consumer?

In this episode, Alessandro Panella sits down with Amedeo Aragona, Marketing Director for Kinder in China at Ferrero, for a conversation about global marketing, cultural adaptation, leadership and the fast-changing world of consumer behaviour.

Amedeo shares the journey that took him from Confindustria in Rome to an MBA in Milan and eventually to Ferrero, where he has spent more than 14 years working across markets and brands. He reflects on what attracted him to Ferrero, why the company's values have remained so important through its growth, and how a strong culture can create an environment where people genuinely want to help each other.

The conversation gets particularly insightful when Amedeo compares his experiences in India and China. From understanding how differently people communicate to adapting marketing strategies to radically different media habits, he explains why being a "guest" in another culture means learning to adapt rather than expecting others to adapt to you.

He also dives into the evolution of brands like Kinder Joy and Kinder Bueno, the challenge of engaging Gen Z, China's extraordinary digital consumption, and why marketers need to be ready for whatever comes next.

Tune in for Amedeo's insights on building a global career, marketing across cultures, learning from people, and turning uncertainty into one of the most exciting parts of the journey.

What does it take to build a marketing career, create lasting impact, and stay curious in a world transformed by AI? 

In this episode, Gordon talks to Vincent Sieben, Head of Marketing, International Region, Healthcare Informatics at Philips, about purpose-driven marketing, career growth, sustaining ideas, and the opportunities AI is creating in healthcare.

Vincent shares the unconventional start to his career — he once dreamed of becoming a professional drummer—and how studying marketing ultimately gave him the energy and curiosity to build a career in technical B2B environments.

A key theme of the conversation is sustaining: not simply stopping to rest, but giving good ideas the time, depth and reach they need to reach their full potential. Vincent explains why successful initiatives should be replicated across markets, why careers cannot develop at the speed of social media, and why “on to the next” can sometimes get in the way of lasting impact.

Looking ahead, Vincent is particularly excited about AI’s potential to transform healthcare, from earlier cancer detection and better diagnosis to making marketing and sales operations dramatically more accessible and efficient across languages and markets.

Tune in for insights on what marketers can learn from brands such as Nike and Salesforce, and why community, consistency and purpose matter just as much in B2B as they do in consumer marketing.

What can a decade at Amazon teach you about building a sports brand for the next ten years? 

In this episode, Gordon talks to Patrick Müller, Chief Digital Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Decathlon Germany & Founder of Primatheltics, about leadership, e-commerce, brand building, and why he believes Decathlon has a “no-brainer winning story” ahead.

Patrick shares the unexpected start to his career, from initially wanting to join the police to discovering his passion for business and marketing at Staedtler. He reflects on the intensity of his years at Amazon, the leaders who shaped his leadership style, and what ultimately pulled him toward sports, coaching and Decathlon.

Tune in for a conversation explores how Decathlon combines the scale of a global corporation with the energy of a startup, why product expertise and human-centric leadership matter, and what brands like Red Bull can teach us about creating experiences that go far beyond the product itself.

What happens when 20 years of media fragmentation meets AI? 

In this episode, Gordon sits down with Peter Grant, Interim Media Director at Boots, who reflects on his journey from asking customers at Woolworths why they bought what they bought to navigating the rapidly changing world of AI, agentic search and media. He argues that AI’s greatest opportunity may not be creating something entirely new, but pulling together the vast amounts of intelligence and knowledge we already have.

The conversation explores the danger of atomisation, why marketers need to resist drowning in metrics and why the hardest question is often the simplest: “Is what we’re doing actually worth it?”

Peter also shares his ambition to create the “perfect campaign”, inspired by Formula 1 legend Alain Prost’s pursuit of the perfect lap, and explains why having an ideal is not about achieving perfection, but about having the clarity and focus to know what you are aiming for.

Tune in for a conversation about AI, marketing, media, focus and why the future may belong to those who can finally bring it all together.

What happens when a career that starts with chemical engineering takes an unexpected turn into finance, sports, beauty, digital transformation and leadership?

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Jessika Link, Marketing Executive & former Head of Marketing and Digital Channel Germany at Avon, who shares her journey that took her from studying chemical and biological engineering to joining PUMA through a chance conversation over coffee and cake and eventually spending almost nine years at Avon, rising from intern to Head of Marketing and Digital Channel Germany.

Jessika talks about why she was drawn to the beauty industry, how she built a career by embracing opportunities before she had all the answers and what she learned from leading teams and transformation across markets.
Looking ahead, she explores what excites her most about AI, agentic commerce and the future of marketing and why, despite all the technology, the human factor will matter more than ever.

Tune in for a conversation about embracing the unknown and building your career through bold moves.

In this episode, Gordon hosts Jim Real, Founder & Chief Creative Officer at Jim Real Creative, Real Thinking Consultancy. After shaping creative work for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and Disney Parks around the world, Jim has embarked on a new journey: helping organizations harness the power of storytelling to solve real business challenges and create lasting emotional connections.During the conversation he reflects on his years at Disney, the lessons he learned from some of advertising's greatest creative leaders and why the best ideas are never „sold“ but built together through partnership, insight and trust. He explains why every touchpoint is part of the story, why experiences matter more than ever in an AI-driven world and why the most exciting work starts with what he calls good trouble: doing something with positive intent that hasn't been done before.

Tune in for a masterclass in creativity, leadership and the art of turning human truths into unforgettable brand experiences.