Clare Pickens has re-energised Leo in Australia, turning what had been seen as a quiet achiever into one of the industry’s most talked-about creative agencies. Which makes it all the more curious to learn that back in 2018 she returned to university to complete a Masters in International Relations and seriously considered abandoning the ad game to pursue a career in law.
In this week’s edition of Fast 10, Pickens chats to B&T’s Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham about her relocation from Amsterdam in 2024, how her time in Amsterdam prepared her for being the boss of Leo Burnett, Australia and how she was even a pit girl at the Silverstone Superbikes.
1) You’ve had a brilliant diverse international career starting out as an assistant TV Producer In Europe to now CEO of Leo’s in Oz. If you had to pick only one, what would be your career highlight so far?
Clare Pickens: It is completely impossible to only pick one. I’ve worked with some of the world’s truly iconic brands and made work which lives in industry memory. If I had to think of a personal achievement which defines my journey though, I think being promoted to group account director at W+K Amsterdam would be a big one. It set me on a course of leadership wherein I could mentor and build teams I cared deeply about, devise strategies to solve meaningful problems and drive real impact for my teams, clients and their customers.
2) I loved my time at Leo Burnett Sydney/Melbourne how do you ensure the agency is contemporary but still values your rich heritage with such an iconic founder? Are there still apples on reception?
CP: There are apples and Leo iconography everywhere and in fact earlier this month, we celebrated the 90th birthday of our agency. The founding value of ‘what helps people, helps business’ is still true today. How that value shows up in a modern and challenging world has changed. Thus, we stay true to our guiding principle but reinvent how we deliver that value to our partners.
3) You worked at Wieden+ Kennedy in both Amsterdam & London how did that prepare you for the Aussie’s culture and lifestyle?
CP: Well, I actually lived in Australia many years ago in another lifetime, so that better prepared me for Aussie lifestyle and culture than any professional experience. The thing I value most though from my time in Amsterdam is the true diversity of the agency teams. Working with people who differ vastly in life experience to you, is a challenging but rewarding endeavour and it encourages you to think differently every day. I guess this has given me a healthy dose of useful adaptability.
4) As a young girl what did you want to be when you grew up?
CP: A human rights lawyer. In 2018, I went back to do a Masters in International Relations and seriously considered getting out of the ad game. I was pulled back in by some great people at W+K and Nike, but I certainly try to bring that structured and purposeful thinking to how I work and how I influence.
5) One year in and you make the prestigious B&T Best of the Best top 10 creative leaders. What was your reaction, and did you celebrate?
CP: Yes, that was a real shock. We had some timely new business wins and while we cannot underestimate the luck of the pitch gods, our team worked really hard to achieve those wins and my success as a leader is thanks to all those people pulling together behind an evolved and impactful vision for Leo Australia.
6) As an industry what’s one thing you would change to make us all better?
CP: Our apocalyptic tendencies. We are constantly predicting the thing that will kill our industry entirely, but as a group of creatively minded problem solvers, we also ride those waves and define our value anew. Change is creative fuel, an opportunity to solve a meaningful problem and better ourselves and our industry as a result.
7) The agency’s had an outstanding new business year with ANZ and the consolidation of Suncorp can you share the ingredients for your success?
CP: Our success came as a team ready to fight hard and work for the win. We were humbly reflective on what was and was not serving us any longer, and we were not afraid to rewrite the playbook of how we pitch. Bringing a compelling offering which is suited to the needs of CEOs and CMOs in a challenging market environment must focus more on what they need and how we can help, than tooting our own horn.
8) During a small career hiatus, you volunteered offshore with the Sea Shepard and completed a master’s degree in international relations, how did they both prepare you for tricky clients, procurement people and precious creatives?
CP: I touched above on the Masters, and so focusing on Sea Shepherd, I’ll say that the value of doing something outdoors, extremely physical and with challenging conditions could not be further away from sitting at desks and in meetings. This, along with the volunteer nature and truly diverse group of people, affords a wonderful reflection on what really matters, where energy is best spent and the importance of clear communication to rally people to a single goal.
9) What’s the one thing not on your LinkedIn profile?
CP: I was once a pit girl at the Silverstone Superbikes! That, and years of hospitality jobs while traveling and studying. I do believe you can learn a lot about prioritisation, efficiency, service and understanding people’s needs by working in hospitality. It prepares you for a lot of life’s challenges!
10) Important last question, do your parents actually know what you do?
CP: I think now that I have a title which they recognise, they have a reasonable sense. My mother has asked me once, after overhearing a work phone call, “how do you know how to do that?”. She meant, because I had not studied anything related to that topic. However, I’m a big advocate for learning on the job. There’s only so much you can learn in a classroom and experience builds not just knowledge but also intuition you can trust.
Clare Pickens is a B&T Women In Media finalist under the Executive Leader category. If you still don’t have your tickets for this Friday make sure you get them now!
