10 questions with... Sheryl Marjoram, chief executive of McCann London
In an attempt to showcase the personalities of the people behind the media and marketing sector, The Drum speaks to individuals who are bringing something a little different to the industry and talks to them about what insights and life experience they can offer the rest of us. This week's 10 Questions are put to McCann's London chief executive, Sheryl Marjoram.
10 questions with... Sheryl Marjoram, managing director of McCann London
What was your first ever job?
I was a PR assistant, in-house at Lacoste for their menswear range. I would name the colour swatches. My proudest moment was claiming Baked Bean for a pair of burnt orange denim short, shorts.
Which industry buzzword annoys you most?
Ideation. We are perfectly able to describe the process without this addition.
Who do you find most interesting to follow on social media?
Karen Walker on LinkedIn. She has some cool thinking on healthy workplace cultures. And Tina Fey.
Highlight of your career (so far?)
Every year something incredible happens. It would be wrong to discount the pleasure I’ve received from each by pitting them against each other to find a favourite but last year was just a total ride:
To be part of a team that was judged to be the IPAs most effective network of the year and to take home the inaugural Grand Prix in the Creative Ecommerce category was proper spine-tingly stuff. In addition, we collected over 120 awards, were named the UK’s most awarded agency at the Clios and LIAs, created a working environment that was named as one of the best places to work and we now happily house 4 of the worlds most awarded creatives and six of the industry’s best upcoming creatives. All of this while winning important pieces of new business and having our third year of consistent economic growth. To be nominated by you guys as the UK’s most awarded agency against some of the other greats and ranked Number two by Contagious Pioneers for consistently setting the standard for excellence in marketing… yeah… last year was off the charts awesome.
What piece of tech can you not live without?
A corkscrew.
Who or what did you have posters of on your bedroom wall as a teenager?
Well before Twitter took the copy and paste ‘Get you a man who can do both’, this was my mantra and so Joseph Levitch (Jerry Lewis) is My Guy. Any man who can kick his socks off from a standing position to music and be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work with charity is a keeper in my eyes.
In advertising, what needs to change soon?
A sense of privilege and entitlement.
What is (in your opinion) the greatest film/album/book of your life?
Sun Tzu Art of war. Or the IPG training video on how to treat fellow work colleagues.
Which industry event can you not afford to miss each year and why?
Hitting up your event schedule at Cannes is usually top draw. My invitations are in the mail right?
What's the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Don’t cook bacon in the nude.
Content created with:
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