The Speakers
Learn more about our industry-leading speakers at IGNITE 26.
Doug Baxter
Founder & CEO, Agency Futures
Doug Baxter is the Founder and Managing Partner of Agency Futures, a specialist M&A advisory firm focused exclusively on marketing, communications, digital, healthcare and creative agencies. For more than 20 years, he has advised agency founders and leadership teams worldwide on growth strategy, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning and business sales.
A trusted advisor to many Worldwide Partners agencies, Doug is known for his practical, founder-first approach to building agency value in an increasingly competitive and AI-enabled marketplace. A regular international speaker, he shares candid, actionable insights on agency growth, valuation, succession planning and the future of independent agencies.
Paula Bloodworth
Co-Founder, Alien Baby with Idris Elba; Former Global Head of Nike Strategy, Wieden+Kennedy
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Paula’s strategic expertise encompasses 17 years spanning London, New York, Shanghai, Portland, Sydney, Tokyo and Melbourne, with an emphasis on the development of youth and sports brands.
She recently joined forces with Idris Elba as his Chief Marketing Officer and launched ALIEN BABY, a creative studio of a different kind, where she led the impactful ‘Don’t Stop Your Future’ anti-knife crime campaign, driving a major legal change in the UK.
Before this, Paula was Head of International Strategy at Uncommon Creative Studio, working with global brands like Peloton, Jordan and Pinterest.
However, much of her career was dedicated to Nike. At Wieden+Kennedy Portland, she led Nike’s global strategy after shaping its regional direction in Greater China and EMEA. Her eight-year tenure saw her play a key role in award-winning campaigns like ‘Nothing Beats a Londoner’ and ‘You Can’t Stop Sport’, the latter earning an Emmy for its creative and cultural impact.
Andrew Brand
Founder & CEO | 99c
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Andrew Brand is founder and CEO of 99c, one of South Africa's largest independent, integrated creative agencies. Headquartered in Cape Town, 99c has over 450 employees across multiple disciplines. The 99c Group offers creative, strategy, media, production, content, influencer, consulting, and CRM services. Clients include Shoprite Group (Africa’s largest retailer), Spur Corporation, Ackermans, Lindt, Sazerac, Bryte Insurance, Profilm and SA Mint / Krugerrand.
Andrew started his agency career in art direction and developed a passion for retail advertising which has formed the backbone of 99c since its inception in 2008.
An ex-professional rugby player, when Andrew has many interests – from thoroughbred breeding and horseracing to wine and whisky, and a wide array of sporting hobbies as both a participant and keen follower.
Trudy Follwell
Creative Director | Advance
Trudy is Creative Director at the Copenhagen based agency Advance, where she has partnered with the LEGO Group for more than 15 years. She shapes global campaigns, concepts and communication that travel across cultures and generations.
Before advertising, she spent a decade in research and communications for international NGOs focused on sustainability and social impact. That foundation still informs how she thinks about culture and power in creative leadership.
Barbadian born to British and Caribbean parents and raised across the Far East, the Pacific, the Caribbean and London, she brings a culturally fluid perspective to her work. For her, diversity is not a trend but a lived reality. She brings humour, playfulness and depth to the work in equal measure, often the smartest way through complexity.
Margaret Heffernan
Leadership Expert, Entrepreneur + Bestselling Author
Dr. Margaret Heffernan is an internationally renowned author, entrepreneur, and one of the world's foremost thinkers on leadership, innovation, and navigating uncertainty. After a successful career producing award-winning television and radio programs for the BBC, she moved to the U.S., where she led several technology companies and was recognized among the "Top 100 Media Executives" by The Hollywood Reporter.
She is the bestselling author of seven books, including Willful Blindness, named one of the Financial Times' most important business books of the decade, A Bigger Prize, Uncharted, and Embracing Uncertainty. Her TED Talks have been viewed more than 17 million times, inspiring leaders around the world to rethink competition, collaboration, and the future of work.
Margaret is a Professor of Practice at the University of Bath and mentors CEOs and senior executives through Merryck & Co. She advises organizations on leadership, culture, and strategy, and in 2023 was inducted into the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame in recognition of her lasting contribution to management thinking.
Brent Hodgins
CEO, Mirren
Brent leads the team at Mirren, the go-to firm for training agency teams. Working with client-facing teams, pitch teams, and senior leadership, Mirren provides the skills and tools to immediately increase organic revenue growth, win more new business – including how to use AI to accelerate both.
More than 700 agencies engage with Mirren through training programs, live training webinars, and annual conferences each year. (www.Mirren.com)
Brent has trained senior teams in every major market around the world, pushing agencies to evolve beyond the traditional account service model. The approach is strategic, methodical, and intentionally contrarian. In fact, the path to agency differentiation and revenue growth lies in rejecting industry clichés and instead, engineering real business value for clients. He is known for his sharp insights, engaging delivery, and pragmatic impact.
Before founding Mirren, Brent began in account management at Leo Burnett (Kellogg’s, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s), launched the digital division of TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York, and led new business at Wieden+Kennedy. He has been a guest lecturer at Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, NYU Stern, Wharton, and MIT, sharing a provocative look inside the future of branding, marketing, and AI.
After 19 years in New York, Brent made the trek to Seattle when Mirren moved its headquarters to the West Coast. He now lives in the Ballard neighborhood with his wife and son.
Ravid Kuperberg
Partner & Trainer | Mindscapes
Ravid is a prominent structured creative thinking trainer in the field of brand communications, working with numerous ad agencies and brands around the world.
He is a former advertising professional with extensive experience across a wide range of strategic, creative, and leadership roles. A diverse background which has given him a unique perspective on creativity and its operations manual.
He is a frequent speaker at marketing conferences and advertising festivals, including recurring appearances at the prestigious Cannes Lions festival.
52 Cannes Lions have been awarded to work created by teams using the Mindscapes structured creative thinking tools.
Mike McGee
Sales/Marketing Consultant | Workamajig
I’m a seasoned business consultant and CPA with 40+ years of experience helping organizations align financial management with growth strategy.
My career has spanned accounting, finance, and sales leadership—working with agencies and businesses to optimize operations, improve profitability, and drive measurable results.As Principal of MHM Enterprises LLC, I partner with advertising and marketing agencies to streamline financial operations, implement KPI-driven reporting, and strengthen management processes.
Previously, I spent over two decades with Advantage Software Company (now Simpli.fi), leading consulting and sales across North America and generating more than $10M in financial management software solutions. Earlier in my career, I served as CFO and Controller for multi-million-dollar organizations, overseeing complex accounting operations and leading teams of 80+. These experiences gave me a unique perspective at the intersection of finance, strategy, and operational efficiency.
Steve Miller
ECD / SVP / Partner, FUSE Create
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Steve is currently SVP, Executive Creative Director & Partner at FUSE Create, the independent full-service agency based in Toronto, Canada.
Over the past 26+ years, he's worked with some of the world's most influential brands, including Nestlé, Pepsi, McDonald's, FedEx, Nike, and Google, with his work recognized at Cannes, One Show, Clios, Effies, and the Drum.
He's also taught at Miami Ad School, speaks regularly at universities and conferences, and has judged several awards shows, including Cannes Young Lions, New York Festivals, and the Webbys, to name a few.
When he isn't creating award-winning work, you can find him playing music, sketching, and writing bios.
David Payne
Global Chief Partnerships Officer | billups
David has dedicated more than 25 years of his professional life working within the Global Out of Home Media Industry.
David held several senior leadership roles at WPP’s Kinetic Worldwide, in EMEA, United States and South Asia.
In January 2020 he launched Mediabridge a new independent OOH agency, which leveraged its own best in class technology to deliver outstanding results for agencies and clients.
In October 2024 Mediabridge was acquired by billups as part of its ongoing global expansion journey.
David sits on the Global Leadership team at billups and is responsible for client and agency partnerships and geographical expansion.
David is an MBA graduate from Henley Business School.
He lives in South Oxfordshire, is a long suffering supporter of Reading Football Club and Sussex County Cricket Club.
Ian Whittaker
Managing Director and Owner, Liberty Sky Advisors
Ian Whittaker was an Equity Research Analyst in the City (financial markets) for 20 years, covering the Media and Technology sectors, as well as parts of the telecommunications industry. He has a proven track record of anticipating industry trends and understanding their implications for companies and investors.
Ian was named City AM Analyst of the Year on two occasions, making him the only person to have won the award more than once. He is also a regular contributor to City AM and several leading trade publications.
He has extensive experience in helping companies identify the most appropriate financing options, including IPOs, and has advised businesses on both strategic and financial matters.
Ian now undertakes consultancy and advisory work through his company, Liberty Sky Advisors, focusing on the major structural, financial and competitive challenges facing companies and sectors across the TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications) landscape.
He has made numerous media appearances, including on Bloomberg, Sky News, CNBC and BBC Radio 4, and is a frequent speaker at major industry events and conferences.