The greatest compliment I’ve ever received from a colleague was being described as a constructive contrarian. Questioning the status quo stems from a deep and legitimate desire to understand why: How did we get here, what are we missing, where could we go? Being grounded and deliberate means that you no longer rest on how things have been done. When you start from this open space, what’s possible starts to unfold. It’s a starting point for getting creative.

The idea of bricolage – being creative with what’s at hand to make things happen – is something that inspires much of my work. In my time as an Executive Director in Strategy and Insights at VMLY&R, the mission and materials have varied, but the ethos has always been the same. We could be talking data, insights, teams, resources – we usually have limitations, obstacles, and a healthy dose of chaos. This is where the magic happens.

Turning ambiguity into opportunity is a part of the everyday work, and a big part of scaling the team. We were a global company of 3,000 when I started, I was a team of 1. I saw a need for better integration of people insights and more creative ways of getting there quickly. During the last 6 years, the company grew to 13,000 and my team grew to 30.

It's a team of the smartest, most delightful people that I’ve worked with in my career. They’re the kind of people who bring energy and momentum to their work and you feel it in every interaction. They set the bar high and make it happen.

We’re currently working to build the future we want to see: fewer biases, more humanity.