Meet the Career Chameleons: Leadership
Above (left to right): Christine Olivas (founder and CEO, No Single Individual), Chris Pape (CEO, Another Thing), Niccolò Montanari (founder, MontanariPR), Lisa Van Someren (VP of business operations , Cactus), Jeff Blackman (managing director, Barbarian), Mark McDermott (partner, Amplify).
“My journey used to be called an ‘unconventional path’. Now, we’re increasingly realising that non-linear careers equip people to be well-rounded, to confidently promote themselves, to disrupt industry more.”
Christine Olivas is the founder and CEO of No Single Individual, an agency providing bespoke ‘teamlancing’ solutions. The steps she took to reach that role have been far from straightforward – but from her perspective, that’s what has enabled her to “navigate the ever-changing set of responsibilities and challenges” that come with being CEO. “Financial planning, HR, business development, thought leadership – without a diverse professional background, I’d struggle to master all of the role’s dynamic needs.”
Christine describes her current position as a culmination of all that came before. From law school, she learnt the art of negotiation; a decade in startup marketing prepared her for executing and growing revenue under pressure; senior accounts roles trained her to manage relationships and conflict.
It’s a resourcefulness that’s shared by a number of the ‘career chameleons’ LBB has spoken to as part of its series by the same name: every single stopover is a gold mine of transferable skills, no matter how unrelated the next step might seem. The founder of MontanariPR, Niccolò Montanari, describes his experience in the same way. Fashion event management honed his sense of aesthetics and pace, events sharpened his logistical and relationship skills, helming his own companies (Berlin Fashion Film Festival, Curation Hour magazine, and Conero Film + ADV festival) taught him leadership and the value of clarity.
The founder recalls a time when attitudes were starkly different, and chameleons like him used to be seen as unfocused; but both he and Christine note that they were simply early to what’s now the norm. “The lines between disciplines have blurred,” Niccolò explains. “Creatives are expected to think strategically, strategists need to understand storytelling, and producers do a bit of everything. What once felt like jumping around now looks like the ideal foundation for where things are headed.”
Chris Pape’s career offers an example of that departmental overlap, marrying creativity with business. In a former life, he was the founder and chief creative officer of digital agency, Genuine, before he left the agency world to help launch consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand, One Mighty Mill, going on to dabble in stand-up and documentary writing. A call from “longtime friend and world-class creative” Nick Kaplan changed Chris’ course, inviting him to be CEO of Another Thing while it was still in its infancy.
While initially intimidating, the switch from CCO to CEO opened Chris’ eyes to why the two must work hand-in-hand: “I’ve learned that great creative work needs creative leadership and sometimes that just means clearing the runway for Nick Kaplan (CCO) and Mike Cassell (head of strategy) to do their thing. Whether it’s for clients or for my partners, that’s what I’m here to do – build a structure that great creative can thrive in.”
That lesson is reflected in Mark McDermott’s even more unlikely leap, from finance into the creative industry.
The partner at Amplify relays how it came to be: “On September 15th 2008, I landed in Buenos Aires for a much-needed holiday, only to see my colleague’s face splashed across The Times under the headline: ‘Lehman Collapse’. In an instant, my job, the industry and the world shifted.” After almost a decade on the Lehman Brothers’ emerging markets fixed income desk, his boss fatefully remarked, “Lights out, dude.” Mark goes on, “It was the push I needed to do something more creative. So I joined our esteemed industry and now I get to mix my creativity and passion with the skills gained on the trading floor.”
Like Niccolò and Christine, Mark demonstrates that the truly resourceful will find transferable skills in every experience. His (rather tumultuous) transition between the finance and creative worlds have given him the “analytical mindset of a trader combined with cultural fluency and storytelling.” That’s something that’s always going to be vital: effectiveness and creativity, business and brand – long-lasting success only comes when they work together.
“Take it from someone who, thanks to the 2008 global financial crisis, has seen the ultimate career disruption,” says Mark, “fluid, nonlinear career paths make our industry more resilient. They bring new perspectives, challenge assumptions and foster adaptability.” Niccolò agrees – that fresh thinking helps connect dots others might miss.
For Jeff Blackman, Barbarian's managing director, it’s what gave him the insight to identify which areas were about to boom, and seize the opportunity to be at the centre. “Through it all,” says Jeff, “I realised that the next wave of brand experience is happening at the intersection of creative, CX, and technology, now accelerated by AI.”
Prior to joining his current agency, he’d immersed himself in all parts of the digital content world, starting out at one of the first interactive agencies during the Web 2.0 era, championing integrated, cross-channel campaigns at Publicis, co-founding a strategic consultancy to help brands build connection through content, becoming Havas’ first chief experience officer, and joining AI product innovator, D2.ai.
“That realisation is what brought me to Barbarian,” Jeff continues. “I saw it as the right platform to help shape a new, hybrid approach to brand engagement where storytelling, customer experience and emerging tech come together to create the new era of brand engagement.”
The VP of business operations at Cactus, Lisa Van Someren, adds that the broadened perspective she gained from a winding career has not only given her a big-picture understanding of how everything needs to connect, but also greater empathy for every department’s challenges. She started in PR before being drawn behind the scenes of agency processes and systems, moving into traffic, production, project management, and overseeing agency operations.
“This fuelled my drive to help find ways every role within the agency can work better, smoother, and smarter – together,” Lisa comments. “I think my journey says a lot about the culture here at Cactus,” she adds, and it shows: she’s been at the company for almost three decades. “Ultimately, any agency that truly embraces constant learning and collaboration will build a more resilient and adaptable team, and in an industry that changes as fast as this one, that’s absolutely essential.”
It may be essential, it may make teams more resilient, but “at the same time,” notes Niccolò, “I’m aware that this pace – constantly stretching across roles – can easily lead to burnout.” Whilst we are now rightfully promoting hybrid talent, we also must be mindful of doing so sustainably. That means slowing down, and making sure the value of focus and depth are not forgotten in the process.
“Perhaps the future isn’t just about having hybrid skill sets, but also about doing things at the right pace, setting boundaries and acting with intention – not just intensity.
Read about more career chameleons here:
