Oct 19, 2015 8 Questions with: Leeann Leahy
I met Leeann Leahy at TED Women 2015, and we had an incredibly fun and lengthy conversation chatting about the agency world. I loved hearing her perspectives about this fast paced industry and stories about cutting her teeth on Madison Avenue. She has served various roles including President, Chief Strategy Officer, and Global Planning Director at agencies such as Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners, Saatchi & Saatchi, Lowe Worldwide, Margeotes Fertitta + Partners, and Translation. It was really inspiring to see a leader whose infectious energy is directly applied to her devotion and gushing adoration of The VIA Agency. She joined John Coleman at VIA in 2012 as President, and she was just promoted to CEO last month. During her tenure, the agency has grown to more than 110 employees and added clients including Facebook, Heinz, Marriott Autograph Series, Pacific Life, TD Ameritrade, Elite Airways, Golden Corral and Proximo Spirits, in addition to existing work for Sam’s Club, Perdue Farms, and Unilever.
Congratulations on your new role as CEO. When we met I was so impressed with the overflowing passion and adoration you had when reflecting about your agency. Tell us why it is so special.
There are several reasons why VIA is special. First, our culture is incredibly interesting, fun, invigorating, and humane. At many agencies (and I have been at many), the fun can become snuffed out, so we are committed to injecting excitement into our teams. We want to be the most enjoyable part of our clients’ jobs, and this energy will only come authentically from within. We believe that we have to offer an open, inspired, spontaneous culture to truly allow creativity to come to life. For example, we have something called “Go Do’s.” We encourage people to go have personal experiences or education, and we invest in these things that help spark our team’s creativity.
Another strength of our agency stems from our leadership and founder, John. He recently transferred his shares back to the company so that there becomes an employee ownership structure. To get the best talent and to motivate your team, there is nothing more powerful than having everyone mutually invested in the success of the agency.
Thirdly, we have a clear vision and can double down on our creative output. We believe that creativity (the mindset, process, and embodiment) surpasses creative, and all positions in the company should be creative thought leaders. We recently eliminated account management and replaced it with “client strategists” that work with our account planners. Their role is no longer to solely manage the clients, but also to motivate client strategic thinking and inspire clients and account teams.
Talk more about the spontaneous culture building activities you have.
This might include closing the office and having a dance party, having the agency visit a museum’s new art collection, organizing team building activities where we go outside and craft presentations about snow sculptures. The camaraderie makes the culture vibrant and ensures that everyone is open to new ideas. The spontaneity helps people think like improv actors and always be on their feet.
As a head of the agency, how do you view your role and priorities?
I am responsible for building an environment where creativity can thrive. I want to foster fearlessness and curiosity. Every other week, all of our account leads and department heads take stock and have a provocative discussion about the creative landscape worldwide, the work being produced, and we assess how we stack up. We keep many balloons in the air so that any given time we have much to be inspired by.
Where do you intend to take the VIA Agency in the longer term?
Ultimately, I want our agency to be the most valued partner by our clients, so much so that they have irrational loyalty to us. I want VIA to be a destination. A destination coveted by the best people to work here, and a destination recognized by our peers through award winning work. I definitely want VIA to continue growing financially as well, and that could look like a growth rate of 2X or even 10X.
With 20 years in agency leadership, what challenges do agencies face today? How must they evolve and transform themselves?
This is where we are a bit contrarian in our beliefs. With the landscape changing so rapidly, the only constant is change itself. It isn’t about scrambling to keep up and investing in the latest buzzword or technology. I believe that our agency must have the best strategists out there. These people will have all the tools, whether digital, social, analytical, content-based, as well as the know-how to adapt, apply, and create. We seek idea people, strategists, and the best thinkers. If we have too many specialists, then we might bet wrong and fail. This is how we ensure that VIA is poised to adapt to whatever comes our way.
With Imprint’s sister company an agency that focuses on the multicultural segment, what is your perspective of culture as it relates to marketing?
Brands can definitely create culture. As the world evolves and the face of America changes, we have a responsibility to create content and experiences that are ambi-cultural. Identities will be formed by a stew of components such as experiences, environments, and ethnicity. Consumers can dial up or dial down that cultural identity based upon their need, and brands can connect with them to deepen relationships on this level. And brands will have permission to do so if they tap into it correctly and authentically.
What are your sources of inspiration?
There are many inspiration points for me. My children, with their wide-eyed point of view on the world, help me to stay optimistic. I am so inspired by nature. I draw energy from it, and I am so lucky to do what I love to do, living on the coast of beautiful Portland, Maine. My team is full of interesting and special people who express their whole selves at work everyday, so I am constantly inspired by this group as well as our agency founder.
How do you keep your team inspired?
People are allowed to bring themselves and their experiences to the agency. Once they have been here for a period of time, they can take sabbaticals and soak up learnings, presenting what insights they gained from these experiences. For example, we had someone learn flamenco guitar, one who spent time learning how to paint Greek eggs, one who immersed into meditation/yoga, and many more. It is a great program.
