Earlier in the year, the IMAA launched its Female Leaders of Tomorrow programme as part of its commitment to fostering long-term diversity and inclusivity across independent media agencies nationally.
The six-month IMAA programme aims to create a support network between accomplished industry leaders and their mentees by matching senior staff with up-and-coming women in indie media agencies for knowledge-sharing and professional development opportunities.
One of the IMAA mentors involved in the programme is Liam Loan-Lack, head of marketing APAC & Canada at CMC Markets, who tells Mediaweek about the very direct piece of advice that has stuck with him.
What’s the most important/best piece of advice you’ve received during your career?
“‘Shut the f*ck up and stop over selling.’ I spent my younger years trying to prove my value a lot to others and really, to myself. Confident and smart operators say fewer things and better. Even now I catch myself. Making an impact is about simple, powerful ideas that people understand. Not to say you shouldn’t do your research and be rigorous, just communicate succinctly.”
Who do you look up to in business and why?
“Business is hard, especially if you are an entrepreneur, so I admire anyone who has the bravery and taken the calculated risk to start their own thing. I tend not to idolise a single person in business for the simple reason that idols have a habit of disappointing you and can wreck your faith in some of their good qualities. Many people idolised Elizabeth Holmes for example, and sadly many of her great qualities also contributed to her fraudulent activities.
“If you forced me to choose however, I actually would say someone like Bernard Arnault, Founder, Chairman and CEO of LVMH, because his business tactics are legendary and there are few businesses that have had the same sway on culture than his.”
Did you have a mentor, and what did they teach you?
“From a young age, I decided to try and have a network of mentors from varied business sizes and verticals / sectors. I truly believe that category-defined thinking is just a set of handcuffs dressed up. The most thoughtful mentor I had was in the NFP sector for example, and she taught me that success is a process not an outcome. She introduced me to the “Be / Get / Do” framework of high performance and why process is the differentiator between amateurs and professionals.”
What does mentoring mean to you, and why is mentoring important?
“Put simply – without a raft of kind and generous mentors in my own life, I would never be in the position I am today, and I am so grateful for that. In this crazy, always-on world we live in, sometimes you need someone who can bring you down to earth and help you focus on what matters. There is so much (and increasing) noise in our world and so I hope to be able to bring my mentee(s) back to the centre and provide them with a bit of ‘radical candour’ – as one of my old bosses used to say.”
Why is it important to have more women leaders in the industry?
“We need ‘whole of brain’ thinking at the boardroom table and especially in media / marketing. Women have superpowers that men simply don’t have (and vice versa). Media and marketing is a critical industry to arrive at equal representation for women because we are, as a profession, at the frontier of societal attitudes and ultimately, all marketing is about behaviour change (we want consumers to do something off the back of exposure to our campaigns).
“Being at that frontier is a big responsibility and as such, we need at least equal representation to make the right calls. From better casting of ads (avoiding the stereotypical and damaging cliches) to being proud to promote products which solve a fundamental human need like ModiBodi is currently doing, it is pleasing to see the industry change, but I personally want a faster pace of change.”
What’s on your business reading and podcast list?
“I am an avid listener of The Economist podcasts. Always a good perspective. Business reading – Good Strategy / Bad Strategy by R. Rumelt is still the best business book I have read. So much fluff exists in the world of work and this book is like a razor cutting through the BS. Read it and I guarantee the way you work will change forever.”
See Also: IMAA Female Leaders of Tomorrow Mentors: Stockland’s Natalie Warren-Smith
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Top Image: Liam Loan-Lack