In our series of 90 second interviews with marketing leaders we uncover career highlights alongside tips and learnings from some of the industry’s most successful marketers. This interview is with Brian Bannister, Global Director of External Communications, BCG.
What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Never be afraid to own something that didn’t work out, but learn to apply that lesson quickly!
What future opportunities do you think marketing and communications will create over the next five years?
I think we’re in the really early days of a really exciting new type of collaboration for marketing and comms driven by real time AI that will give us far more effective insights to the age old questions about ROI for marcomms spend.
What is your most trusted news source?
Still has to be the BBC.
What has had the most influential impact on your leadership career and why?
Sir Ian Powell as CEO of PwC, who was incredibly smart and authentic and had an incredible ability to see the real challenge or opportunity when everybody else thought they could!
What is your biggest takeaway from covid19?
We underestimate how interdependent we all are at our peril.
How are you planning for 2021 and beyond?
Hopefully by 2021 we’ll be back in the office (at least some of the time), travelling for work again (less of the time) and will remember enough of what worked and didn’t go so well through lockdown to be more resilient if we ever face another pandemic.
What career advice would you now give to yourself 10 years ago?
Work overseas and get more exposure to different cultures and ways of working.
What’s the toughest interview question you’ve ever asked or been asked?
In a role play exercise that was being filmed the actor playing the part of my deputy who had unsuccessfully applied for the job asked me, using a stream of swear words, why I thought I could do the job. I had to bite my lip to stay in my professional character!
Who is your business hero and why?
Bill Gates for building a global company and knowing when to move on to spend his wealth helping others.
