Mentors who impacted my career path and mind

 

He is still an innovative mind with a lengthy career in advertising, including 20 years in management at Saatchi & Saatchi and personal involvement in more than 700 pitches. He now focuses on the art of selling Ideas; on pitch coaching. I've seen Michael in live action presenting to Clients. I 've had the luck to see some of his sessions at the agency staff, and finally we worked in the same team for two very big European projects. He has made an impact to my client service style and conceptual ability. If there is one guy that can really pitch an amazing story, he is the one! He knows how to energize, lead and inspire agency teams and their mental effort.

 

He started from the creative agency Lowe Howard-Spink to develop a famous advertising network and from personal he made it global by a dizzying acquisition marathon (Marshalk, Scali, McCabe, Sloves, Goldsmith Jeffrey, Ammirati Puris Lintas, Bozell). His own created legendary campaigns were for Heineken and Stella Artois, benchmarking the network to No2 in the creative global scene. He gave me two invaluable lessons. It was a typical rainy day in London when I was introduced to him and we discussed for a) never giving it up with communication ideas and b) ask from agency people to be really creative in the client service, otherwise they offer nothing in the business and the Client. He was so right...

 

He is considered to be the pioneer figure in the professional political communications, campaigning and public affairs in Greece. He is an active Professor in the Athens University. I witnessed his dream of creating the first strategic consultancy agency in Greece and then how he led it to become the leading agency in the Europe SE region. He founded CIVITAS Ketchum in 1994, and the agency now operates in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Cyprus offering its consultancy in marketing and corporate communications, issues and crisis management, corporate social responsibility and public affairs. George was my mentor in communications and his copywriting lessons -back then- were meant to be my understanding how to transform Client problems into well-told stories.

 

For more than 25 years he is working as a communications consultant on projects with agencies, Clients and Trade bodies both in the UK and overseas. A world class communicator who has worked for Ogilvy & Mather, Bates Worldwide, and the Saatchi's. He is also a founding member of EACA, since he is an excellent tutor and a knowledgeable manager. Last but not least, he really knows how to develop business, people and how to create Permanently Infatuated Clients. I worked with Micky so close and I have learned from him numerous tips in developing new business approaches and communication tactics, resulting that I bring my integrity and hard work to help develop our agency in Athens.

 

He is the one who introduced in 1981 in Greece -for the first time- the concept of integrated marketing communications and upon that succeeded to build a very good reputation network of agencies. Seen him at work and felt his ways; he is a true believer of "Peak Performance" organizational theory and a relentless worker for ideas and success of his Clients. Working closely and reporting to Takis for Adel Saatchi & Saatchi business was a great learning experience for 5,5 years, each and every day. His understanding in business and marketing communication issues has been a guarantee. He had always a specific progress plan for each and everyone with measurable personal development goals. He meant everything through action and consistency.

 

Has made his business to know why we do the things we do. He is considered as the pioneering life coach who speaks to millions of people through TED, his best-selling books and seminars. Talks for some of the most important things in uncertain times: emotions and strategy, and aims to help us all master them. I have read and followed his books; tweets; posts; and his TED appearances. My next anticipation is to get a small ‘bite' of Tony's NBC Reality TV show Breakthrough with Tony Robbins. This guy is a true spiritual leader who stimulates my professional thinking and values' balance.

 

He curved his professional path in Unilever Group working in Italy, Europe and Greece for more than 20 years. He is a recognized figure by the Greek market, assigned and voted to prominent trade and business positions, but above all he was one of the most inspiring Clients I have ever worked with (2000-2002). Gregory encouraged all agency teams to produce great campaign ideas, while being accountable for commonly shared business results and he did that by stimulating initiative and passion. What more to ask from a Client! We produced together some memorable campaigns for Captain Iglo, Vitam, Becel and I thank him for the opportunities he has given back then to my teams and me personally.

Unlike most marketing consultants who work on a 60-day cycle, Ries conducts one-day strategy sessions only and that amazed me alot. As I have read, there are reasons for this approach. I had the pleasure to meet and hear him in a day seminar and I understood why he oversimplifies and generalizes the data for Companies. He gives focus. From my university reading times until today -besides having read all of his books- he is always my returning point of focus, prior engaging myself to some proposal. Lately, I was honored to connect with him in Social networks and I will continue to follow his links in AdAge and Ries & Ries site.

Head of Creative Services BBDO Group

 

Top creative talent and a fascinating presenter of Ideas. We worked together and we stayed up many nights to deliver integrated campaigns. I have learned from him tips and tricks of our trade as communicator; for electronic productions; how to install quality focus in our storytelling work and agency teams. Above all Yorgos helped me to realize how to exercise my concepting ability, in one of the most critical new business project we won together. I feel attributing to him many personal work qualities, and I am grateful for giving me attention, time, opportunities.