FCB’s Emma Armstrong on taking ‘responsibility for the humans’

Despite the pandemic, FCB New York President Emma Armstrong oversaw 40% topline growth in 2020. The agency won new business including Spotify, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Clinique and Axe, while finishing the year with no account losses and 68 new hires. She appointed both of the shop’s co-chief creative officers, Gabriel Schmitt and Michael Aimette, who led impressive work for Burger King and the multiplatform, immersive “Courtside” experience for Michelob Ultra. She also restructured operations and brought on Chief Talent Officer Yoonjung Crosby. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt the weight and responsibility for the humans of FCB quite so much as I have done through the pandemic,” Armstrong says. “I’m most proud of how we’ve supported our people over the last 14 months, from access to mental health resources to comprehensive DE&I and cultural competency training. ... It’s brought us all a little closer together, and I think provided the foundation for our growth.”See all of Ad Age's 2021 Leading Women U.S. and Europe here. What advice would you give your younger self? “This too shall pass.” We waste so much time worrying about things we can’t control. Focus on what you can truly affect. Be kind, be generous with your thoughts and spend time truly seeking to understand those around you. And then let the small stuff go. It’s a distraction, and in a few months or a year’s time, that big looming thing simply won’t be important anymore. What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken? In my late twenties, just after the dot-com bubble burst, I walked out of my well-paying job and bought a round-the-world plane ticket. I ended up traveling for a year and a half, covering most of Australia, living in New Zealand for a year working as a horse trek guide, and then heading home across the Pacific and through South America. My parents were horrified—would I ever work again? But I landed back in London to a booming job market and the rest is history. Looking back, I learned so much about myself that has fundamentally shaped who I am and how I try to show up every day in my job and for my friends and family. Coming out of the pandemic, I think many people will find themselves at a similar pivotal point in life and I’m excited to see what will happen. If you weren’t doing your current job what would you be doing and why? In an ideal world? I get endless joy from reading, and I love to spread that around, so my dream would be to run the most wonderful bookshop. Books from floor to ceiling. Perfect recommendations for anyone who wanders in. Cozy nooks to curl up in. Plentiful tea, coffee and the best cakes around. I’m a strong believer that books are the best way to grow your empathy muscles. And the world could always use more insight, empathy and joy. What should the industry do to encourage more women and people of color into its ranks? Beyond the essential and foundational work we’re doing as an agency and industry, it’s important that we work every day to ensure our cultures are truly welcoming to all. That we are proactively and deliberately inclusive. When you combine people who understand that we value them for their unique insights, talents and perspectives with a culture of psychological safety, magic happens. We need to drive equality of opportunity by holding ourselves accountable to ensure that we’re hiring people for potential, not solely for their books or past experience. It takes more rigor, it takes more gut. We need to lean into robust training programs and invest in talent growth and retain that knowledge throughout our industry. This is the only way to achieve sustainable change. Which campaign or other piece of work have you seen in the last year that you wish you had done? I love the recent Extra gum work. It’s a perfect marriage of product truth and cultural moment, captured in a beautifully executed film. We live in a complex marketing world where data and brand are equally important, and the film is a timely reminder that storytelling really does make the world go round. See all of Ad Age's 2021 Leading Women U.S. and Europe here.

FCB’s Emma Armstrong on taking ‘responsibility for the humans’

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