Strategy Unscripted

Operating at the Speed of Culture with Simon Athlan, Global Strategy Director at Ogilvy UK

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Simon Athlan — Global Strategy Director at Ogilvy UK and former Senior Director of Brand Strategy at Jellyfish — shares how he helps global brands like Dove and TRESemmé find a clear path from business problem to cultural relevance. With experience across Allianz, Neutrogena, Chanel and more, Simon bridges classic brand strategy with the realities of social platforms, rapid trends and generative AI. In this conversation, you’ll learn how he: ✅ Translates corporate business problems into sharp, human tensions that people actually care about ✅ Balances long-term brand consistency with the “lots of littles” content reality of social platforms ✅ Uses world-building and star stories to keep campaigns coherent while culture moves at speed ✅ Applies GenAI as a strategic tool (not a crutch), including treating agents as a new type of audience 🎧 For senior leaders rethinking how strategy, creativity and AI come together at scale, this episode offers practical lenses you can apply across any large organisation!

Aligning strategy, brand & execution in distributed teams with Russell Longmuir, CEO @ EFQM

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Russell Longmuir — CEO at EFQM and former consulting leader at IBM, KPMG and PwC — shares a candid look at transforming an organisation while operating under real-world constraints. From shifting EFQM to a direct go-to-market, to digitising decades of assessment data, Russell explains how a small, distributed team scaled globally without external equity or debt. In this conversation, you’ll learn how he: ✅ Defined four non-negotiable pillars (product quality, digitisation, brand control, extended customer relationships) and stuck to them amid daily firefighting ✅ Balanced surging demand with funding limits by sequencing bets and raising quality across a hybrid workforce operating in 25 languages ✅ Replaced partner-led distribution with customer proximity to drive growth (including major gains in the Middle East) ✅ Combines evidence-based benchmarking with emerging agentic AI while protecting human judgement and capability development

Empowerment over Edicts in Strategy with Apoorva Kumar, Senior Director - RGM Transformation @ PepsiCo

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Apoorva Kumar — Senior Director RGM Transformation at PepsiCo and former transformation leader at Haleon (GSK Consumer Healthcare) — shares hard-won lessons from two decades leading commercial change across FMCG and healthcare.   Having led large-scale change in revenue growth management and trade promotion, Apoorva unpacks how culture, clarity, and cadence turn high-level strategies into measurable outcomes across commercial transformations. In this conversation, you’ll learn how he turns strategy into results and why sequencing change, ways of working and technology is critical in high-velocity FMCG. He shared insights on: * ✅ The TPM “triangle”: change management, standard ways of working, and right-timed tech * ✅ Converting global intent into local KPIs without losing autonomy * ✅ When to pause or pivot transformation based on early indicators * ✅ Contextualising AI on proprietary data while preserving human decision-making Tune in for deeper insights that matter to senior leaders → [link [https://www.linkedin.com/smart-links/AQHRegwRr0u2Tg]]

From Brand Strategy to Business Success with Mark Stone, Brand Consultant at Strategy Stone

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Mark Stone — award-winning Brand Consultant, University Lecturer, and founder of Strategy Stone — shares insights from over 20 years of building and advising brands across sectors from pharmaceuticals and finance to technology and consumer goods.Having led strategy for brands at agencies including Ogilvy, Wolff Olins, Mother, and BBDO, and worked directly with global brands such as DHL, Google, Nike, and KPMG, Mark brings a unique perspective on the intersection of brand and corporate strategy.We explore practical lessons on how senior leaders can integrate brand thinking into strategic planning, ensuring it drives measurable business value rather than sitting on the sidelines. In this conversation, you’ll learn how he: ✅ Aligns business and brand objectives using frameworks such as cascade goals ✅ Helps organisations overcome silos and build unified strategy execution ✅ Demonstrates the cultural impact of brand strategy on employees and customers ✅ Utilises brand valuation methods to identify areas of opportunity

Leadership & Strategy Execution Leveraging Human Capital with Mark Servodidio, CEO @ PGP Solutions

In this episode of Unscripted, we sit down with Mark Servodidio, CEO of PGP Solutions, for an in-depth conversation about his dynamic career and the importance of aligning human capital with strategy execution. With a rich background spanning human resources and general management at industry giants like PepsiCo, Nabisco, and Avis Budget Group, Mark shares how leadership, culture, and operational excellence drive sustainable success.🎙 🚀Mark walks us through his journey of transforming organisations by focusing on people, strategy, and customer-centricity. From revitalising Avis Budget Group’s customer experience, significantly boosting its Net Promoter Scores across Europe, to launching his own venture, Mark discusses the critical role of engaging frontline employees and fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect. He also delves into the evolving landscape of business leadership, highlighting the unique challenges faced today in an increasingly fast-paced, complex, and AI-driven world.Key Insights from the Conversation:💡 Human capital is central to strategy execution. Leaders must ensure people are ready and capable to deliver the strategy, bridging gaps between the vision and the everyday tasks that drive success.💡 Spending time with frontline employees accelerates success. Mark emphasises the importance of understanding the challenges at the customer touchpoints and connecting those experiences to broader business objectives.💡 Leadership requires simplicity in communication. Breaking down complex challenges into manageable components and making them clear for employees is key to delivering results and gaining their discretionary effort.💡 Building culture and credibility is essential for driving change. Mark’s ability to influence culture—especially in a large, established organisation—helped transform Avis Budget Group’s customer service, drastically increasing Net Promoter Scores across Europe.💡 AI must be embraced for future success. Mark encourages businesses to lean into AI, using it to enhance existing processes and creating an opportunity for growth and innovation.Whether you’re leading a global organisation or looking to improve team alignment, Mark’s experiences offer valuable lessons on breaking down barriers to success and creating strategic, human-driven solutions.🎧Tune in to hear Mark’s strategic insights on leadership, human capital, and driving results in an ever-evolving business world.