CB Hot Suit Takes: Vanessa Tout, Managing Director, VML Sydney and Melbourne

CB Hot Suit Takes is our new Q&A series for extremely busy CEOs and senior leaders across the industry ~ covering careers, creativity, challenges and the song that sums it all up. First up in the hot seat is Vanessa Tout, Managing Director, VML Sydney and Melbourne.

1. What made you get into advertising?

I studied law at uni which was quite a solitary pursuit. It helped me realise I needed to work in a collaborative environment, where ideas can be shared and built on. I landed in a PR firm as a fresh grad and have been in agencies ever since. I love the creative energy that pulses through all the great agencies I’ve worked in, cultivating environments where people can do their best work, the challenge of constant context-switching and the satisfaction of solving a curly problem with creativity.

2. Which piece of work are you most proud of, and why?

The work VML did in partnership with Defence Force Recruiting to redefine its brand architecture and launch its employer brand, ADF Careers, through the Make Your Impact brand platform was career defining for me and many other VMLers. I had the privilege of leading this program for a couple of years and experiencing first-hand the grit and dedication of talented people, both agency and client side, which culminated in the best recruiting results for the ADF in 20 years and a Gold Effie for VML last year. It was strategically complex, challenging to navigate and yet still highly creative work. I will always feel proud of what we achieved together with DFR and its partners.

3. What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role right now?

Helping our team, agency and clients navigate a technological revolution, without losing the humanity and taste that make ideas travel through culture.

4. What’s the most recent thing you’ve learned – professionally or personally?

You can be a member of multiple libraries at the same time – even libraries outside your council area 🙂

5. What song best sums up your career so far?

LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends

This song takes me right back to London where I spent a large chunk of my career before moving to Melbourne. There’s an intensity to it that really sums up how it feels to work in our industry, fuelled by adrenaline and big ideas. It’s an ode to creativity, connection and the incredible people I’ve worked with over the past 20 years, many of whom have become friends for life.

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