Atlanta Council Agency Leadership – The Great Experiment: Perspectives on Agencies Working In-Office, Remotely or Hybrid

Featuring:

Peter Bunarek
CEO, BBDO Atlanta

Chris Edmonson
Executive Director, VMLY&R Atlanta

Sonja Stanley
EVP, Project Management & Business Operations, Moxie & MRY

Richard Ward
CEO, Guided by Good, Atlanta

Hosted by the 4As Atlanta Council
Wednesday, October 27th

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now its Delta variant, continues to reverberate in our industry. While being a disruptive factor, adapting to the challenges of this virus has created unexpected opportunities. Agencies forced into remote work scenarios in 2020 discovered that they could still function effectively: clients were serviced, productions were done, staff could operate, new business could be pitched and talent could be recruited and onboarded. However, as agencies progress into another stage of the COVID experience, they’ve had to address the question of “what is the best way for an agency to operate now?” The optional answers to this question range from having staff return to the office to adopting a remote work model to a hybrid approach that seeks to integrate these two scenarios. Some agency leaders feel their best work comes from having staff physically together. Others feel that the remote experience has revealed a new and exciting paradigm for how agencies can operate now and into the future. For those seeing the benefits of both options, the hybrid solution is deemed the way to go. Is there a “right” approach, and how should an agency determine which approach is right for them?

The participants in today’s program represent different perspectives on these questions, which will provide substantial “food for thought” as agency leaders determine the desired approach for their agencies. Our featured panelists include Peter Bunarek (CEO, BBDO Atlanta), Chris Edmondson (Managing Director, VMLY&R Atlanta), Sonja Stanley (EVP, Project Management & Business Operations, Moxie & MRY) and Richard Ward (CEO, Guided by Good). Come and hear how these agency leaders are addressing the work scenarios for their agencies, and gain insights for use in your agency.

The 4As Agency Leadership Series is a program that enables agency senior executives to hear from their peers who have successfully dealt with the challenges facing agencies today. Speakers are featured who have faced very difficult circumstances (e.g., client losses, restructurings, creating new corporate cultures) with their agencies and have transitioned them into robust and thriving enterprises. Importantly, these sessions are meant to be intimate environments for attendees to engage with the speaker and generate discussion and obtain insights that will be useful in managing their agencies.

The 4As Agency Leadership Series is sponsored by the 4As Atlanta Council Board of Governors:

Jake Bendel Brunner Atlanta
Ross Brown VMLY&R Atlanta
Peter Bunarek BBDO Atlanta
Karli Figueroa Moxie
Erica Finkelstein Wunderman Thompson Atlanta
Jackie Hopkins Edelman Atlanta
Lisa Huggins (Vice Chair) Mower Atlanta
Evan Levy Fitzco
Bob Morrison (Chair) Morrison Agency
Annette Sally. Blue Sky
Austen Tully 22squared