Oli Russell-Cowan

What does it take to be the first ever Group CMO of a FTSE 100 giant, leading 1,200 marketers through a global transformation? Recorded last week and released soon, in our latest episode of The Places We'll Go Marketing Show we spoke with Jill Dougan CMO of Informa about her career journey and what it means to lead marketing at scale. Here are 3 standout insights from the conversation: 1. Credibility first Why her top priority was earning the trust of Informa’s 1,200 marketers. 2. Transformation at pace How the “One Informa” programme is unlocking the power of their brands, events and publishing. 3. Human creativity still wins Even in the age of AI, it’s the spark of human imagination that sets marketing apart. Watch out for a masterclass on leadership, resilience, and the future of marketing. Subscribe here to catch this and all of our episodes - https://lnkd.in/e9KYycDJ #Marketing #Leadership #Transformation #Creativity Ritchie Mehta

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CreateFuture has secured a technology partnership with Skyscanner which will see the digital consultancy work closely with the global travel marketplace’s tech teams across its Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Barcelona offices in areas including audience experience, data and AI tooling, and app experience.  Euan Andrews, CEO and Founder of CreateFuture, said: “Skyscanner began life here in Scotland, and is now the leading global travel app that scans over 80 billion prices daily.  We are excited to be working with their world-class engineering team to accelerate, grow, and contribute to their future success.”  Andrew Phillips, Chief Technology Officer at Skyscanner, said: “CreateFuture’s proven capabilities, culture match, and overall collaborative approach made them the ideal choice for us, and we fully expect their team to be instrumental in helping us to achieve our engineering goals.” CreateFuture was appointed after a multi-stage process from a national and international pool of consultancies, and was recognised for its engineering expertise, cultural alignments, and track record around delivery. Skyscanner joins a client list at CreateFuture which includes PayPal, adidas, NatWest, Baillie Gifford, MoneySavingExpert, Penguin Random House, Simple Online Healthcare, Multiverse, and FanDuel.  Euan Andrews added: “As a Scotland-headquartered company, we think it’s notable that we’re now working with the country’s two tech unicorns - Skycanner and FanDuel - and that this says something about the continuing evolution of the Scottish technology ecosystem as a whole.  And for our business, it not only strengthens our position at the forefront of digital transformation in Scotland, but helps to lay the ground for further expansion across the UK and internationally.” Founded in 2010 by CEO Euan Andrews, CreateFuture now has around 500 people working across 3 UK offices plus a European base - delivering end-to-end digital transformation and covering CX strategy, product innovation, AI enablement, cloud and infrastructure, and data and analytics.  The company rebranded from xDesign following the acquisition of CreateFuture in 2023, and is backed by investment firm Soho Square Capital. Pictured L-R are Andrew Phillips (Skyscanner), Euan Andrews (CreateFuture), Jamie Rorrison (Skyscanner), Myra Fulton (Skyscanner), Darren Dalrymple (CreateFuture), and Eloise Maslewski (CreateFuture) at CreateFuture's HQ in Edinburgh

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As a #judge for the UK Search Awards 2025, I'm so excited to dive into the incredible #talent and #innovation within our industry! This is the award to win if you want to be seen as a true expert in the UK #search landscape. For those crafting their entries, here are my top 3 tips to make your submission stand out: 📌 Quantify Everything: Back up your claims with hard data and clear statistics. Judges want to see tangible results and business impact, not just great ideas. 📌 Tell a Compelling Story: We'll be reading many entries, so make yours memorable! Clearly outline your objectives, challenges, strategy, and most importantly, the transformative outcomes. 📌 Utilise Supporting Materials Wisely: Don't just attach documents; ensure they reinforce your narrative and provide clear, concise evidence that's easy for judges to review. Remember, the Super Early Bird Deadline is 21st August, 2025! Let's see your outstanding work! Link to enter in comments. Don't Panic Events Maia King #UKSearchAwards

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Great Little Grey Cells Club session at RICS with Tim Healey , Naomi Walkland (Motorway) and a brilliant panel from LUSH , Indeed , Big Issue , Pernod Ricard & Lucky Generals . Big takeaways for me: - Marketing is a growth lever – not a cost centre. The CFO relationship is key (something I’ve valued at Co-op Bank, McCarthy Stone & Places for People) - There’s no universal formula – each business needs its own. The best results come from solving your unique challenges. - Storytelling matters – from Bumble’s “Black Love” to Motorway’s rebrand, it’s what lifts brands beyond functionality. - AI is already reshaping how we work – the winners will create the right environment for it. - Purpose can be powerful – Lush and the Big Issue show how campaigning can drive real change. No single formula, but creativity, adaptability and collaboration always deliver. #Marketing #Brand #Creativity #AI #Leadership #LittleGreyCells

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We sat down with Wouter Proot, partnership director at RSC Anderlecht. In the coming weeks, he will tell us all there is to know about partnerships. Starting with this one:  Sponsorship isn’t about logo placements anymore. It’s content. It’s distribution. It’s business. RSC Anderlecht gets that. And it shows in how the club is rethinking what a modern rights holder should look like. We also talked about the shift sports sponsoring is making and discussed how RSC Anderlecht adapted it's approach to raise partnerships to new standards. Stay tuned for more or watch the full video: https://lnkd.in/emKPWU5W (link also in comments) Sponsorships have evolved,  Have you?

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