Today’s episode is powerful. It’s a conversation with Rob Campbell, Chief Strategy Officer at Colenso BBDO in Auckland. The topic is diversity in agencies – and how those of us with privilege can and should be doing more.

Rob brings humanity and curiosity to his experience of diversity from beyond the shiny Western boardrooms of Soho and Madison Avenue, openly discussing what he got wrong living and working in the US, China, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand (to name a few) as well as sharing practical advice on what he learned agency leaders can do better.

This is a rare opportunity to hear a privileged white man – one who’s at the very top of our industry – speak so candidly about his own learning journey, including a transformative experience watching the movie ‘Get Out’ with three women from the black community. 

If you believe that diversity makes agencies and creativity stronger and you aspire to be a more inclusive leader, then there’s a lot here for you.

Chapters:

4.25 Becoming militant about DEI responsibility

06.53 Travelling the world based on curiosity

09.50 How knowledge of history is essential for innovation

13.30 How to bring diverse truths into the workplace

16.05 Western privilege in Black Lives Matter

21.55 What privileged white men can do differently

25.30 How to stop worrying about saying the wrong thing

32.45 Proactively creating the conditions for others to thrive

35.15 Getting past white fragility

36.12 Practical advice for agency leaders