The CMO Podcast — Andrew Robertson (BBDO): How to Power Up Your Organization

Host: Jim Stengel
Guest: Andrew Robertson (Chairman, BBDO Worldwide)
Date: December 31, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features a rich and personal conversation between Jim Stengel and Andrew Robertson—former CEO and current Chairman of BBDO Worldwide, and recent author of “The Creative Shift: How to Power Up Your Organization by Making Space for New Ideas.” The discussion traverses Andrew’s unconventional journey into advertising, his leadership lessons, personal mantras, and the practical wisdom distilled from steering one of the world’s top creative organizations. The episode is especially valuable for leaders aiming to embed creativity deep into their company’s culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Andrew’s Early Life, Purpose, and Entry into Advertising

• [05:39] Purpose in Life—Owning an Alfa Romeo
  Andrew shares a humorous but telling story about his youthful ambitions—his simple, clear early purpose to own an Alfa Romeo, which he unexpectedly bypassed for a Ferrari.

  "It was very clear. I'm not saying it was deep, but it was clear. That was what I wanted." (Andrew, 05:39)

• [07:29] How a Nightclub Encounter Set His Career
  After a chance meeting with an Alfa Romeo-driving advertising executive at a nightclub, Andrew made a spur-of-the-moment decision to pursue advertising.

Lessons from Early Leadership

• [08:23] Becoming a CEO Before 30
  Andrew reflects on being “ridiculously sure of himself” at a young age and credits a triad leadership structure that balanced experience and youth.

  "I was not a threat to anybody…As a trio it kind of worked." (Andrew, 08:23)

Influence of Family and Early Career Choices

• [09:50] His Father’s Guiding Influence
  The book is dedicated to his father, who acted as a thoughtful checkpoint at pivotal moments, always leading Andrew to self-discovery rather than dictating decisions.

Building Deep Client Relationships at BBDO

• [13:52] The AT&T Partnership
  Andrew details why his relationship with AT&T (formerly Singular) endured and thrived: honesty, mutual respect, and a shared expectation for candid points of view.

  "They expect you to have a point of view, they listen to it, they decide, and then you execute fast and brilliantly." (Andrew, 13:52)

• [16:06] Influence Beyond Marketing
  Andrew’s agency relationships extended beyond the CMO to the CEO, rooted in building trust, respect, and affection:

  "Earn the trust, get the respect, then comes the affection." (Andrew, 16:06)
  He stresses the value of admitting mistakes early, which forges stronger trust.

Creativity as a Process, Not a Flash

• [18:54] Defining Better Problems for Creative Solutions
  Andrew uses practical examples to explain that “poorly defined problems are the biggest barrier to creativity.” Unlocking creativity comes from reframing the problem with specificity—“perceived waiting time” rather than just “reducing waiting time.”

  "Just that little bit of extra focus, one extra word…takes it from a declaration of intent into a really great problem to solve." (Andrew, 20:53)

• [24:50] The Creative Shift: Why the Book Title Matters
  Andrew advocates that creativity is not a rare gift but a way of operating—“engineer it into your way of operating with the same discipline as everything else.” He recounts research (George Land’s NASA creativity studies) showing how creativity is systemically suppressed by conformity and organizational pressures.

  “The shift I really wanted to put the focus on was…treat creativity as another one of your processes.” (Andrew, 25:04)

Leadership Stories: Creative Shift in Action

• [29:17] Jeff Immelt & GE
  As a model for creativity in large organizations, Andrew singles out Immelt’s leadership at GE, turning a compliance-centered culture into one that valued “imagination at work” despite immense external and internal pressures.

  “He reinvented it as a company that generated billion dollar ideas…when he had so many reasons not to.” (Andrew, 29:17)

Multipliers and Diminishers

• [32:11] Multipliers
  Drawing on Liz Wiseman’s concept, Andrew names Jim Stengel and Antonio Lucio as leaders who multiply others' talents.
• [33:08] Diminishers
  Awareness of diminishers is key; the trick is not to let them shrink your ambition, and learn how to frame solutions so diminishers feel invested in their success.

Codifying Culture

• [35:22] Developing BBDO’s Leadership Principles
  Andrew describes facilitating a session where the best people at BBDO described themselves, leading to principles like “radiators not drains,” “we not me,” “healthy paranoia,” and “actively seek out different.” The language was simple, true, and quickly became part of the company vernacular.

  “…It just moved into the vernacular. And it was because of that that it stayed there…Culture is so much about language.” (Andrew, 35:22)

Case Study: BBDO India

• [41:00] Exceptional Leadership & Subculture
  Andrew shares how Josy Paul’s humility, curiosity, and generosity built BBDO India into a creative gem—where the agency is run more like an ashram than a corporate office, fostering deep loyalty and extraordinary output.

Practical Wisdom for Creative Leaders

• [47:20] Personal Mantras: Run Toward Fire & Pick Great Bosses
  Andrew summarizes critical career advice:

  • Run Toward the Fire: Seek out the tough challenges—“learn to love problems.”
  • Pick Great Bosses: Unpack opportunities for growth by working for those who let you take risks and have your back when you fail.

• [51:13] On Building Relationships
  Always start from understanding what matters to your counterpart; help them solve for their needs before your own.

Most Impactful Campaign & Admired Leader

• [52:39] Most Significant Campaign: “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” (Snickers)
  Identified as BBDO’s biggest campaign for its longevity, global reach, and cultural relevance.

  “It took a brand from number seven in the market to number one without any change to the product.” (Andrew, 53:00)

• [54:10] Most Inspiring Person: David Abbott
  Andrew credits the late AMV BBDO chairman as his most influential mentor—a leader who radiated calm and instilled confidence simply by his presence.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On defining culture:
  “We wrote them down on a post it note and they were us, they were ours. And it was really just a question of digging into the reality of what was best about the best people and codifying it because it was true and because it was true to us, it was actually really easy to have it infiltrate the organization.” (Andrew, 35:22)

• On creativity:
  “Creativity isn’t a talent, it’s a way of operating.” (Andrew citing John Key, 25:04)

• On trusted relationships:
  “Earn the trust, get the respect, then comes the affection. Those are the three steps.” (Andrew, 16:06)

• On defining the right problem:
  “The absence of a really brilliant question or problem is usually the biggest problem in idea generation…. It should be so tantalizing…that you just want to start solving it.” (Andrew, 20:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 05:39 — Andrew’s early purpose and entry into advertising
• 08:23 — Becoming a CEO under 30
• 09:50 — Dedication to his father and life lessons
• 13:52 — Building the AT&T client relationship
• 16:06 — Earning trust, respect, and affection from clients (beyond marketing)
• 18:54 — Creativity starts with defining the right problem
• 25:04 — Why “shift” is at the heart of true organizational creativity
• 29:17 — Jeff Immelt’s creative transformation at GE
• 32:11 — On multipliers, diminishers, and how to handle both
• 35:22 — How BBDO identifies and codifies its cultural principles
• 41:00 — BBDO India: Leadership, humility, and culture
• 47:20 — Andrew’s mantras: Run toward fire & pick great bosses
• 51:13 — Building relationships: prioritizing others' needs
• 52:39 — “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” — campaign impact
• 54:10 — Most inspiring leader: David Abbott

Takeaways for Marketers & Leaders

1. Great creative cultures are built. Start with codifying, in your team’s own words, the behaviors and values of your “best people.”
2. Creativity is everyone’s business—engineer it into your company’s processes, not just isolated departments.
3. Run toward big problems, not away from them. True leadership growth and organizational momentum come from embracing challenges.
4. Every great client or partner relationship is built stepwise: trust → respect → affection.

This episode is a masterclass in creative leadership, practical culture-building, and the human side of business impact. Robertson’s stories and strategies offer actionable inspiration for leaders at every level.