Rob Whittle

Topics

Presentations

Creativity: The Most Powerful Tool in Business
Harnessing creativity should not be the sole domain of Hollywood or the Advertising community.  In a 45 minute rollercoaster ride, Whittle takes you on a journey of the tough but valuable lessons he has learned about how companies should nourish the creative horse-power within their walls.  Whittle has traveled the world and seen the best and the worst examples of how corporate cultures can either reward creative thinking or how it can be crushed under bureaucracy.  “From the moment our children start school we start the process of killing creativity.  We need to stop killing it and start rewarding it – that takes guts and belief in what you are doing” says Whittle.

Mad Men.  Oh my God it’s True.

When he joined right out of University, Whittle had no idea that he would end up as President of what would become Canada’s most awarded Advertising Agency – DDB Canada (formerly Palmer Jarvis DDB).  The battles with clients, staff, creative talent and a changing media world form the real-life backdrop for Whittle’s “Mad Men” stories of success, hilarious folley and the occasional disaster.  Most of all, Whittle shares some valuable lessons about how great advertising can be created then and now through a memorable journey of creative material that will leave you entertained and thinking.  “Doing great work is more important today than ever”, says Whittle. “The give-it-to-me-now web generation can sniff out BS from companies faster than ever and they own the brand throttle in ways clients can’t even imagine.”

Summary Profile

Rob Whittle was President of DDB Canada (formerly Palmer Jarvis DDB) until 2008, when he walked away from the company that had been his home for 26 years. During his tenure as President, DDB was honored with record breaking industry awards from not only the creative perspective but from a Management perspective - DDB Canada was the most awarded Agency in the history of advertising on the Canadian scene.

Armed with a keen sense of what it takes to bring creativity to life in an organization, not just Advertising Agencies, Whittle brings with him 3 decades of working with the world's top brands. "The communications and advertising industry is at the eye of the storm that is impacting the lives of everyone on the planet - the seamless integration of content, data and communications via wireless and internet," says Whittle. "Big agencies in particular are reeling under this change and their model is totally broken - but they are not alone - many companies across various industry sectors are in trouble - they can't even see the train coming down the track that they are lashed to."

Whittle has traveled the world during his ad career and is now sharing his thoughts about how to survive in the changing communications landscape and how any company can use the most powerful tool in it's war chest - CREATIVITY - to become a market leader. He is married to Sandra and they have 3 children.  He is active in the community having served on many boards over the years and is currently a Trustee of the Vancouver Police Foundation