There’s a quote that goes along the lines of ‘I’m sorry this letter is so long, if I’d had time I’d have made it shorter’. It’s attributed to many, but the best advice still is that if you’re ever in any doubt about the source of a quote let Churchill claim it and you’ll usually get away with it. (Unless it’s about the Metaverse or Love Island.)

I had always wanted to hear the famous author and academic Umberto Eco speak. When it was question time, I stood up first, keen to impress with my erudite questioning.

I remember the Bank of England base rate rising and rising in 1991, peaking at 15%. I was living a life unencumbered by a mortgage and had never experienced anything like it before, so I felt more like a witness to the failing economy than a victim of it. Nothing much changed for me.

Creative thinking has been called out as an essential capability in both individuals and organisations to survive and thrive in a fast-paced and challenging environment magnified by technological change.

One of the most inspiring topics from the SXSW talks in Austin this year, which stood out on a personal level, was on the potential of creativity to transform brands and businesses, delivered by Brent Anderson. As Chief Creative Officer of TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Apple’s dedicated creative agency, Anderson stands in a good position to have a clear point of view on what stimulates or deadens creativity.

I blame a dramatic change in my views on global marketing on a team of Bonn-based marketers. (You know who you are, and I always hated the colour magenta anyway.)

I had a fascinating conversation with Will Best about his learnings from being a business founder. His journey made me think about what can hold leaders back from growing businesses and brands and making change happen. I’ve always believed that start-ups and large businesses can learn from each other in more ways than we see, and my chat with Will reinforced this.