Collaboration as Direction: How to Identify A Great Planning Director

Kathryn Bigelow stood before the Academy Awards audience last night and while accepting the Oscar mentioned that Directing in Film is really “just great collaboration”.

In my career, I’ve had the pleasure of several planning bosses – each influencing the way I think and the way I approach strategy. In no short order, I’ve worked for Mike Canterbury (who has since sadly passed, but whose presence is still felt at Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney), Adrian Barrow (now Global Planning Director on Diageo at JWT New York), Sudeep Gohil (now Founding Partner at Droga5 Sydney), Bram Williams (most recently Head of Content at Channel [V] Australia) and now Claudine Cheever (formerly of Goodby Silverstein and now running the 34-strong Strategy Department at Saatchi & Saatchi New York).

New City, Same Deal.

The Mothership

Moving to New York for me feels like a TV spin-off. I leave my major storylines at home (family, relationships) but keep on a familiar trajectory (still working in advertising, still very much the big guy who eats and drinks too much and fits strategy into his day somehow).

This season will be filled with lots of new characters and lots of new plot twists and turns. Personally, I’m looking forward to it. Professionally, its a new challenge and a new reason to dust off the writer-within and use this blog as a means to share my stories and perspectives in this weird but amazing country. I’m at Saatchi & Saatchi New York and whilst everything on this blog is my opinion alone, you’ll hopefully gain a glimpse into my work projects and some of the great stuff we’re cooking at the Agency. Hope you enjoy reading this as much as I will writing it.