MadStars Festival 2024 keynote: Fernando Machado shows how artificial intelligence and creativity can fuel innovation
Fernando Machado is an Operating Partner at Garnett Station Partners, Senior Marketing Advisor at NotCo and a Board Member at Braze. The globally-renowned Chief Marketing Officer was the keynote speaker at the MadStars Festival, held last week in Busan, South Korea. Machado spoke on the opportunities AI brings when combined with human creativity and how it can enhance creative processes.
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Machado is a visionary global marketer with a passion for cultivating brands and driving business growth. He firmly believes in that creativity can be a source of competitive advantage. Over the years, he has garnered a distinguished reputation for himself and the brands he’s helmed, focusing on distinct propositions, innovation, design, and strategic marketing approach.
Machado currently serves as an Operating Partner at Garnett Station Partners (GSP), as senior marketing advisor at NotCo and as board member at Braze. GSP is a private equity group with around $2 billion in investment on brands in the fast-food, pet care, and service industries. NotCo is a unicorn startup that utilizes a proprietary artificial intelligence technology which matches animal proteins to their ideal replacements among thousands of plant-based ingredients. Machado is also a board member at Braze (consumer engagement platform company valued in more than $5.5 billion). Before taking his current roles, Machado spent two years as the Chief Marketing Officer at Activision Blizzard. He spearheaded marketing initiatives for iconic titles in the gaming industry, including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and Candy Crush, among others.
Prior to his tenure at Activision, Machado dedicated 7 years as CMO to Restaurant Brands International, where he played a pivotal role in enhancing brands such as Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons. His efforts focused on infusing purpose, sustainability, improved product quality, modernized design, and championing tech, digital, and brand development across the organization. He was behind multi-award winning campaigns, such as “Mouldy Whopper” and “Whopper Detour”.
Machado’s expertise is rooted in his distinguished 18-year tenure at Unilever. His journey began as an intern, and he climbed the ranks across diverse product categories and brands. Notably, he led groundbreaking initiatives, including Dove’s revolutionary ‘Real Beauty Sketches’.
