The PRovoke Media Podcast

In this episode of the PRovoke Media Agency Leaders Podcast, Maja Pawinska Sims sits down with Hotwire’s new global CEO Grant Toups and UK managing director Charlotte Harvey to explore what they describe as a defining moment for both the agency and the wider communications industry. Just months into their roles, the pair outline a vision built less on “reset” of one of the most famous tech agency brands, and more on acceleration, positioning Hotwire at the intersection of technology, storytelling and commercial impact as AI reshapes how every organisation communicates. In a lively in-person conversation, Toups and Harvey talk about the “golden age of the midsize agency,” the return of earned media in an AI-driven landscape, and why culture, energy and entrepreneurialism are central to Hotwire’s resurgence. From helping non-tech brands navigate complex innovation narratives to rethinking workflows around human–AI collaboration, the duo paint a picture of a new dynamism at the agency as it aims to stay ahead of rapidly changing client demands. Their ambition is clear: to build a global agency of choice for companies telling breakthrough innovation stories, and, as Toups puts it, “to win.”

In this episode of the PRovoke Media Agency Leaders podcast series, Maja Pawinska Sims is joined in person in London by Andrew Bleeker, founder and CEO of Bully Pulpit International (BPI) and the award-winning US-based corporate and public affairs agency's newest senior joiner, former Ketchum leader Jo-Ann Robertson, now BPI's president of Europe and Transatlantic growth leader. The trio's lively chat ranges from the agency's roots and Bleeker's background as President Obama's digital campaign guru, through to its ambitions in the UK and Europe.

After a career spanning roles at Edelman, PwC, and Golin, Megan Noel made the decision last year to take on a new challenge at what was then Adtalem Global Education, leading a corporate affairs function that spanned investor relations, government relations, internal and external communication, enterprise brand, social responsibility and more under CEO Steve Beard, who was determined to “bring all the storytellers together,”Last week, Adralem rebranded as Covista, a change that went beyond a new name and a new visual identity to new positioning and mission. Amid a major transformation, Noel sat down with Paul Holmes to discuss her career and the commitment to purpose that has guided it.

In this episode of the PRovoke Media Agency Leaders Podcast, Burson global CEO Corey duBrowa and UK CEO Simon Redfern chat to editorial director Maja Pawinska Sims in the midst of the World Economic Forum in Davos. They talk about how the event has evolved and how Burson is adapting and innovating in a new era of reputation management, including the agency's new research, The Global Reputation Economy: A New Asset Class for a New Era. The duo also reflect on what being a business and agency leader means now.

In this episode of the PRovoke Media Agency Leader Podcast, Maja Pawinska Sims is joined by The PHA Group’s CEO George Coleman, who joined the firm in April this year after founding and scaling Weber Shandwick sister agency Current Global. The lively conversation covers The PHA Group’s 20th anniversary, evolution, culture and future plans; how AI is being integrated into the agency and industry; the ongoing importance of storytelling in PR; and the difference between working in network and independent agencies.

Diana Marszalek and Michael Kempner discuss why so many leaders feel paralyzed despite having more data, tools, and technology than ever.

For the latest edition of our CCO Podcast, Paul Holmes sat down with Leslie Cafferty, chief communications officer at Booking Holdings, to discuss how she manages a portfolio of technology-driven travel brands, how she balances the needs of different stakeholders and reaches them through a variety of channels, the challenges of working with influencers, and how the company is incorporating AI into its communications efforts.

Golin's Jaimee Reggio discusses the needs of young people living with rare diseases during their transition to adulthood.

Unlock Health's Brandon Edwards discusses healthcare marketing in the post-truth era.

Novavax CCO Silvia Taylor discusses the company’s role in developing a Covid vaccine, the ensuing vaccine controversy, and how Novavax refined its strategy and its positioning. Throughout those challenges, the corporate affairs function has managed multiple stakeholder relationships, with an emphasis on adding commercial value.

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In this episode of the PRovoke Media podcast, recorded in Cannes, Current Global CEO Mike Rosich talks to Maja Pawinska Sims about the agency's new NSFW Pulse research. This provocative new study explores how consumers really feel about brands engaging with so-called ‘not safe for work’ topics in culture and society, from DEI to LGBTQ, plus their views on taking a stand on areas such as climate change, immigration and reproductive rights. The results show a clear divide across political persuasion, age and religion on whether brands should speak up and take a stand on various issues – or not.

In this episode of th PRovoke Media podcast, part of our special Cannes series, Maja Pawinska Sims is joined on the Croisette by Nitin Mantri, APAC president of We. Communications and group CEO of Avian. We. Their lively conversation that covers the creativity festival, the market landscape in Asia, and the results of the agency's new Brands in Motion study, which shows an interesting discrepancy between how effective communications professionals think they are being, and how comms activity is actually being received by their audiences.