The CEO’s Guide to Marketing David Droga’s Exit Interview
Sep 25, 2025
In this engaging discussion, David Droga, the legendary marketer and founder of Droga5, shares insights as he steps down from his role at Accenture Song. He discusses the significance of clarity and emotional connection in leadership, and why creativity must drive business growth. He warns about the challenges of organizational complexity and argues that great CEOs should act as prompters. David also reflects on the impact of AI on creativity, the necessity of adapting to shorter attention spans, and his next chapter in advisory and investment roles.
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Scale Demands Relearning And Clarity
- The CEO role is a privilege that forces you to relearn at scale and stay intimidated to move fast.
- At large scale you cannot assume everyone understands the direction, so clarity and repetition matter.
Design Around The Client, Not Internal Comfort
- Do design your operating model around what makes sense to the client, not internal convenience.
- Simplify capability silos into integrated practices focused on client journeys.
Staff Leaders For Discipline Depth
- Put experts in leadership roles for deep disciplines rather than generalists when you need to lead world-class practices.
- Hire or promote product, design and AI specialists to lead those functions.