A cybersecurity giant going back to the future : Maria McLaughin, Abnormal AI

Jan 27, 2026

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In this episode of The Changemakers, which was recorded as part of our virtual summit Bring Your Own Bold, Wei Kee (Client Services Director at Shaped By) sat down with Maria McLaughlin (Senior Director, Global Brand and Creative at Abnormal AI) and Tom Ovens (Creative Director at Shaped By) to explore how they successfully navigated a full-scale rename and rebrand, and unpack:

How a partnership based on chemistry and mutual respect delivered an extraordinary outcome.
The criticality of getting key internal stakeholders, including the CEO, fully committed to a pivotal project.
How to manage and deliver meaningful work under "audaciously ambitious" and brutal time scales.
The tangible business success of the rebrand, including Abnormal AI's best financial quarter ever post-launch.

This is an essential conversation if you're looking to understand how to drive ambitious change and prove the commercial value of a bold brand identity.

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2. Timestamps

01:21 - The evolution of the client-agency partnership.
02:55 - Why chemistry is one of the key pillars of a successful partnership.
04:19 - Stakeholder engagement: The importance of having the final decision-maker in the room.
07:55 - Building trust and rapport with the CEO.
10:48 - Geeking out: How commonality in thinking helped the connection.
13:35 - The power of positive inter- and intra-team dynamics.
14:58 - Navigating "brutal" and rigid time scales collaboratively.
17:08 - The rewarding outcomes: a durable brand and the best financial quarter ever.
19:30 - The internal and external market reception to the new identity.
24:18 - Advice for achieving extraordinary results with a creative agency.
25:54 - What's next? Up-leveling the work and having fun in 2026.
30:35 - Closing remarks: Success comes from surrounding yourself with good teams.

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