“Never Stop Learning, And Always Ask ‘Why?’”: 10 Of The Best With Finecast’s Liv Geen
B&T’s ‘10 of the Best’ series has become quite the hit, so we’re here to bring you another great interview in celebration of our inaugural Best of the Best awards.
[Looking for the live stream of B&T’s Best of the Best awards? You’ve found it – click here!]
Presented by Finecast, Best of the Best will bring something unique to this year’s awards season. While most awards focus on the work of an agency or company as a whole, Best of the Best will celebrate the immense individual talent on show in every area of advertising, marketing and media.
Our Best of the Best awards will also be celebrating the people who continue to do the most, with categories for mentors and social change-makers.
You can find a breakdown of all the different categories here, along with a downloadable file outlining the full submission criteria.
Come on, you know you want to enter! Head on over HERE to complete your submission/s by Friday 25 June 2021.
To inspire you even more to enter Best of the Best, we’re continuing to publish some fab interviews with a number of senior folk from Finecast and the broader WPP AUNZ network.
We’ve asked them everything from their best piece of career advice, to the best mistake they’ve ever made, to their best guilty pleasure.
Today, we go one-on-one with Finecast’s national head of client services, Liv Geen. Enjoy…
Best piece of career advice…
Never stop learning and always ask “why?”. No matter how senior you are, you don’t always have all the answers! Media is constantly moving forward and evolving, and you should always stay curious so you can understand what is going on and make your own conclusions.
Best agency in Australia at the moment (that’s not yours) and why…
Currently, there is so much great work coming out of Australian creative and media agencies. This makes our industry exciting, forward-thinking and leading the way regarding fabulous creative campaigns to media-led initiatives.
Best industry leader and why…
No doubt the person who has had the biggest impact on my career and continues to be source of strength, encouragement and education is Nicola Lewis. Whilst she may have moved to Europe, she is still very connected to the Australian media landscape and will always be a formidable figure.
Best mentor in your life/career and why…
I’m very excited that Seb Rennie is coming back to Oz, as I have certainly missed our catch-ups. Seb is a calming figure which, at times, is at odds with me, and he always offers a considered and reasonable point of view. He is one of the smartest people I have had the pleasure of working with and I still have a lot to learn from him.
Best brand you’ve never worked on and why…
I’ve always liked the marketing campaigns from Heineken and love how in their newest campaign they are changing the conversation. This is not only brave, but well and truly overdue!
Best song for inspiration and why…
I can never choose one song, but I can choose an entire decade! Nothing quite beats an 80s anthem to get the blood pumping and the adrenaline running.
Best mistake you’ve ever made…
Early on in my career, I understood the KPI of attention to detail and now am someone who checks, re-checks and then checks again that every I is dotted and T is crossed. My lack of attention to detail was a $16,000 mistake, and I can safely say I have never ever done this again!
Best rumour you’ve heard about yourself…
I’m not sure there have been any rumours floating around about me. I’m a pretty open book and my poker face needs a lot of work, so I will answer any question thrown at me – just come and ask me.
Best ad of the past decade and why…
I really love the Wrigley’s Extra Gum ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ ad. I’m a hopeless romantic at heart, and the ad taps into this emotion in such a beautifully told love story.
Best guilty pleasure…
Great food, delicious wine and great company. Nothing beats getting together with friends and colleagues around the table to enjoy life and slow down!
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