Said Gil’s drive helps lead Dentsu Creative Mexico to success and growth

Said Gil set a personal goal of becoming a CEO for a large agency by the time he turned 35 years old. And so he did. In 2021, at 31, Gil became CEO of Dentsu’s Isobar and, later that year, assumed the chief executive position for Dentsu’s creative and CXM practices in Mexico. He took on his current title of CEO, Dentsu Creative Mexico, in 2022, when that collective of creative agencies including Isobar and 360i was formed. He oversees certain consolidation efforts and new revenue streams such as entertainment, business transformation and innovation-design. “I’m a goal-oriented person,” said Gil, 34. See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees here Gil recalled when, in 2014, he was 24 and interviewing for the role of account planning director for Isobar Mexico and told the CEO his goal. “He asked me the most common question, like ‘How do you envision yourself in the next five or 10 years?’ And my answer was ‘I want to do what you are doing.’ And it was like 15 minutes after the interview started and he told me, ‘OK, we’re done. I don’t have more questions.’ I was like, ‘I totally screwed it.’” He did not—he got the job. His takeaway from that experience and opening up about his goal was to never lose that energy, never lose that vision, never lose that drive because it’s compelling and everybody will follow in your direction. Gil has since led Dentsu Creative Mexico to recent client wins including health company Essity, pharmaceutical company Galderma, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max and retailer Coppel, among others. Under him, the network produced impactful and award-winning work including “V-Land,” which normalized menstruation talk with the first-ever metaverse period game for client Essity’s Saba, as well as “The Infected Billboard,” which was quite literally a viral activation to promote the 2023 premiere of Max’s apocalyptic series “The Last of Us.” If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why? Definitely fashion designer and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh, a creative icon who has influenced my approach to what I do on a daily basis. … I’m a true believer that everything we do has to have a message, a story, a narrative. Virgil once said that everything he does is for the 17-year-old version of himself. This is one of the quotes I constantly repeat to myself seeking to stay grounded and understanding that much of what I can do is to be able to tell a new story to that child who lives inside me. What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis? I’m not that social media guy, but if I had to choose two, I would say Instagram as a way to be connected and LinkedIn as a way to stay focused. What’s currently on your bedside reading list? “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage” by Haruki Murakami; “Patria” by Fernando Aramburu and “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” by Rick Rubin. What was the last show you binge-watched? “Succession,” “House of the Dragon” or “Baby Reindeer.” At what age do you hope to retire? Around 45. Although I feel a deep love and affection for what I do, I fully trust that I would like to do more than marketing and advertising, to explore more creative fields and probably face new challenges across music, fashion, entertainment or art. … to open doors and give space to new young talents in leadership roles is crucial and will always be a source of innovation. See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees here

Said Gil’s drive helps lead Dentsu Creative Mexico to success and growth

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