Schedule

Schedule subject to change

Thursday, Feb. 19 Friday, Feb. 20 Saturday, Feb. 21

Thursday, Feb. 19

6:00 - 8:00pm

Welcome Cocktails & Networking

Friday, Feb. 20

8:30 - 9:30am

Ballroom Foyer

Breakfast

9:30 - 9:45am

Opening Remarks

10:00 - 11:00am

AI WON’T REPLACE YOU. BUT SOMEONE WITH A BETTER BRAND WILL.

Why Personal Branding Matters in the Age of AI

Pum Lefebure

Co-Founder & CCO Design Army

AI is changing how work gets done and how value is assigned. As ideas and execution become faster and cheaper, differentiation no longer comes from output alone. It comes from trust, visibility, and point of view. In the age of AI, the human behind the work matters more than ever. Yet in an industry built on branding others, many creative leaders still avoid building their own personal brands because it feels uncomfortable or unnecessary. Today, that invisibility is a risk! In this candid session, Pum reframes personal branding as a leadership skill, not a vanity project. She shows why clarity, credibility, and owning your narrative are essential for staying relevant and trusted in a rapidly changing industry.

Everything has changed. Nothing has changed

KK Walker

Executive Creative Director Google Brand Studio

We're in a time of big change, with new tools and a lot of noise. This talk is about using these tools to make work that feels human and real. We'll focus on what's truly helpful (not just hype), how to have fun, and how to make work that actually matters. Most importantly, we'll talk about how to keep ourselves and our teams inspired.

And Our Next Campaign will Make You Shit Your Pants

How to Help Your Clients Embrace Brave

Ali Rez

CCO IMPACT BBDO Group

With 15 years in the Middle East, Ali Rez has produced some of the most daring campaigns in the world. This includes high-performing work for AnNahar Newspaper, the only brand in the world to receive the bravery award from the Ad Club of New York three times. Ali has collected learnings from this experience to take to all the brands that he works with, convincing them to step out of the ordinary and embrace a more courageous, and ultimately more rewarding, stance. Learn from how he has led the way in transforming the way brands approach creativity in the region.

11:15 - 12:15pm

From learning under legends to leading on my own.

Hanna Wittmark

Creative Director, Art Director Goodby Silverstein & Partners

Few have the opportunity to have their career shaped by the same agency. Fewer still will closely work under the best leaders in the industry for the entirety of their career. But for Hanna Wittmark, rising from intern to creative director under Rich Silverstein, Jeff Goodby and Margaret Johnson, her path to leadership at GS&P has been molded by lessons learned from them. And then completely made her own.

Destroy the fu@&ing hurdles

How to Successfully Remove the Typical Hurdles That Interfere With Great Work Getting Out Into the World

Aaron Starkman

Rethink Global CCO

There are dozens of reasons why a great idea dies or becomes ugly. Aaron Starkman from Rethink is going to give you tips and tricks to get good ideas out of your teams and out into the world while successfully tackling all the hiccups along the away.

Let me be brief

Teresa Sausville

Executive Creative Director Nestlé Purina North America

Inspired by real world experience leading other creative leaders for more than ten years, this presentation will share the five biggest pitfalls most new creative leaders face. You’ll get truth and tricks around all parts of the job, including creative briefs and client feedback sessions. At the heart, these are lessons even the most seasoned among us could be reminded of and inspired by.

12:15 - 1:15pm

East Park

Lunch

1:30 - 2:30pm

Steering Into the Crash

Chaos is the New Canvas

Kaleeta McDade

Global Chief Experience Officer VML

Standing at the edge of AI’s arrival, this isn’t a time for evasion — it’s a time for reckoning. Steering Into the Crash is a call to confront the beautiful, terrifying truth that the creative world we built is being rewritten — not by machines, but by how we choose to meet them. This session challenges us to lead through the impact, not around it — to transform fear into invention, confusion into clarity, and collision into creation.

Systems Waste Talent. Workflows Free It

Tim Rodgers

Ace Workflow™ Founder

If the work feels heavy, it’s not you, it’s the system. Tim Rodgers (Ace Workflow) shows how to swap tracker chaos for one clean flow using no-code & AI inside tools you already use. See live examples that cut approvals to the same day, turn reporting into 15 seconds, and free creatives to do the work they were hired to do.

Earned Is the Algorithm

Judy John

Global CCO Edelman

As LLMs reshape how people search, discover, and decide, brands that don’t earn attention through culture, conversation, and creativity become invisible, no matter how optimized they are. Brands now win by earning their way into human conversations. Don’t tell us to PR your idea, build ideas that are worthy of attention. Earned creative isn’t a channel, it’s the operating system for relevance in an AI-mediated world.

2:45 - 3:45pm BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Creativity Under Pressure

Leading Teams Through Uncertainty

Femi Corazon

EVP, Executive Creative Director Rescue Agency

As creative leaders navigate AI disruption, economic pressure, and constant change, uncertainty has become part of the job. This roundtable will focus on how leaders help teams stay grounded, resilient, and creatively strong when clarity is in short supply. Together, we’ll explore practical tools, real scenarios, and the right questions to ask in service of building creative cultures where people feel supported, inspired, and ready to make bold work no matter what’s happening around them. Expect an honest, participatory conversation that leaves you clearer, steadier, and more confident in how you lead when the pressure is on.

Culture Fallout

How to Avoid Employee Breakups

Mack Garrison

Co-Founder and Director Dash Studio

Empowered teams make great work but what happens if morale starts to slip? How do you rebuild trust? This roundtable conversation will show attendees how to build fundamental systems for a healthy company culture and provides space to share and discuss creative solutions.

The Pan – Creative

Choose to Live Many Agency Models or Die in Just One

Diego Bertagni

ECD, Americas, EVP Burson

Diego Bertagni, the 'Pan-Creative,' invites you to a candid discussion on navigating a career across diverse models. From in-house CPG and tech to global creative & PR agencies, and independent shops across three countries, Diego has lived many creative lives. He'll unpack the unique advantages and challenges of each, offering invaluable insights into whether to 'die' in one specialized role or embrace the richness of a multi-faceted journey. Join him to explore the pros and cons of each creative ecosystem and redefine your professional trajectory.

The Talent Paradox

Do We Need Fewer or Different Creatives?

Mandana Mellano

Founder, President Peony Talent

AI is reshaping the creative process and the agency model as a whole, raising uncomfortable questions for agency leaders: Do we need fewer human creatives, or do we need a different kind of talent altogether? This roundtable confronts the paradox of talent in a world where execution can be automated, but strategy, intuition, judgment, and insight remain human. Leaders will debate how to hire, structure, and retain teams that thrive in an environment where the rules of creativity are being rewritten.

4:00 - 5:00pm

Ballroom Foyer

Cocktails

Saturday, Feb. 21

8:30 - 10:00am

Ballroom Foyer

Breakfast

10:00 - 11:00am

How To Create A Safe Space for Dangerous Ideas

Greg Hahn

Co Founder & Chief Creative Officer Mischief

A practical guide for dreamers. How to create an environment where bold ideas are nurtured and brought to life.

Gather Your Slow Horses

Jamie Falkowski

CCO & Partner Day One Agency

Incubating and defining your agency’s future with the creative minds who will lead it one day. Inspired by the Apple Original, Slow Horses, we set out a year ago to pull together a skunkworks like team with the ambition of resetting how we show up and what our priorities were. Typically a project for senior leadership, we instead pulled together a group of non-traditional creatives—marketing misfits who liked to challenge and ask why. We’ll explore how to find your Slow Horses, the joys of chasing the unknown, and how to keep these dream projects on track when everything else calls louder for your attention. Because a little internal work can often be what sets up your agency to change.

11:15 - 12:15pm

Why I’m More Optimistic Than Ever

PJ Pereira

Founder & Creative Chairman Pereira O'Dell

We live in an age of ruthless disruption. Robots are encroaching. Clients are trying to do our job. New publishers sidestep us. The media we once leaned on is losing its gravity. The physical space of the creative department — once sacred — is evaporating. And consumers now hold the same power and tools we once thought were ours alone. Yet, I think our industry will be ok. Let me tell you why.

The Business Case for Magic

Hannah Lewman

Strategy Director Ogilvy

As the industry tightens its belt and strict ROI scrutiny becomes the norm, creative leaders need more than just great ideas, they need the strategic armor to protect them. In this session, Ogilvy Strategy Director Hannah Lewman breaks down the process of building a commercial argument for creativity. This isn’t about begging clients to buy “cool stuff”; it’s about partnering with them to prove that bold work is actually the most prudent business decision.

One Season After Another

Madison Raisch

Creative Director National Women's Soccer League

Seven insights from over 20 years developing and leading creative work across Major League Baseball, the NHL, the National Football League, and the NWSL.

12:15 - 1:15pm

East Park

Lunch

1:30 - 2:30pm

Encore Sessions

3:00 - 6:00pm ACTIVITIES

Golf at McCormick Ranch Golf Club

Challenge yourself while having a blast with your fellow creative leaders on a classic Scottsdale golf course known for its lush fairways and mountain views. Join our group outing where we’ll play 9 holes in the warm desert sun. Transportation will be provided.

-Proper golf attire requested and club rentals are available on the premises.
-Greens fees are a special CLR rate of $39 and club rentals are an additional $50.

Camelback Mountain Guided Hike

End the day with a climb that clears your head and fires up your perspective. Join your fellow creative leaders for a guided hike up Camelback Mountain—one of Phoenix’s most iconic peaks. Expect bold desert views, energizing conversation, and a challenge that’s as mental as it is physical. We’ll move with intention, pause for big-picture moments, and hit the summit feeling reset, focused, and ready to lead. Transportation will be provided. Before you take the climb:

-This hike is moderate to strenuous with rocky terrain
-Comfortable athletic or hiking shoes are highly recommended

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art - Self-Guided Tour

Wander, wonder, and let your mind roam. This self-guided visit to Scottsdale’s contemporary art hub is designed for creative leaders who find inspiration through artistic expression. Explore thought-provoking exhibitions, bold installations, and architecture that invites reflection and fresh perspective. Move at your own pace, follow what sparks you, and leave with new ideas and a little creative fuel for what’s next.
$16 admission fee. Transportation will be provided.

The Creative Warrior Workshop: Aligning MIND/BODY/SPIRIT for a Holistic Approach to Creative Leadership

A 2-hour Coaching Experience to Help Leaders Get Ready for the Journey Ahead

Rob Schwartz

Executive and Performance Coach & Co-Founder The One Club’s Coaching for Creativity

Karen Crane

Executive Coach & Co-Founder The One Club’s Coaching for Creativity Karen Crane Coaching

Let's be honest—the creative landscape has never been more complex. AI is rewriting the rules faster than we can learn them. The political climate is charged. Global conflicts are reshaping how we connect and communicate. And through it all, we're expected to not just keep up, but lead with vision, authenticity, and purpose. This isn't the time for business-as-usual leadership. This is warrior territory. The question isn't whether you have what it takes—it's where are you leading from right now? Your head? Your heart? Your gut? And more importantly, are you leading from all three in alignment?

In this unique Coaching For Creativity workshop, The One Club partners and certified coaches, Karen Crane and Rob Schwartz go beyond traditional leadership development. This workshop integrates the whole you—Mind, Body, and Spirit— because that's what it takes to thrive when the creative world is shifting beneath our feet.

In this session we’ll focus on:
YOUR MIND: We'll identify your Creative Hero—that person whose leadership style you admire—and reverse-engineer what makes them heroic. What traits do they embody? What are they leading with? We'll explore resilience vs. just doing the work, curiosity vs. judgment, and the power of "yes, and" thinking in uncertain times.

YOUR BODY: Through breathing and visualization, you'll meet your Inner Leader—that wise, grounded, fully expressed version of yourself. We'll integrate their message and learn to quiet the inner critic that keeps you playing small when the world needs you to show up big.

YOUR SPIRIT: Whether through a restorative sound bath or an energizing drum circle, we'll create space to listen with your whole being. What has this experience told you? How do you want to show up differently?

Confiden'al - Not for Public Consump'on or Distribu'on

Are you ready to become a Creative Warrior? Because the world needs leaders who can navigate chaos with clarity, uncertainty with courage, and complexity with creative vision.