Meet the CEOs: Publicis Groupe Malaysia's Neil Hudspeth

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Neil Hudspeth's first brush with advertising was not as an account executive or intern. Instead, he was a young talent in TV commercials in Malaysia. Hudspeth (pictured) joked that "the standard was very low back then" and among the list of numerous TVCs he was involved in included Salem High Country.

"But my first 'creative career' role was as an English copywriter in Japan for an affiliate agency of dentsu," Hudspeth told A+M. His first job wasn't in advertising either. In fact, he was busy picking summer fruits in England during the holidays when he was 12 years old to earn pocket money.

Fast forward years later, Hudspeth is now the CEO of Publicis Groupe Malaysia and global client leader, APAC. He joined the team in Malaysia last January and is a native Malaysian by birth. He has also lived in Asia for over 30 years, with his career covering owning and leading digital transformation, brand and Integrated creative agencies across four continents. When Hudspeth was appointed, Loris Nold, CEO for Publicis Groupe Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said then that he can't think of a better leader to take on the role. Find out more about Hudspeth's journey in the adland!

A+M: What was your first impression of advertising?

Hudspeth: Creatively empowering and influential but a lot of ego and a lot of socialising

A+M: Who was the mentor who influenced you the most and how?

Hudspeth: Two legends. First, Jim Bodoh, then brand consultant director with Lloyd Northover in London, a brand and graphic design consultancy. Bodoh was a brilliantly smart strategic brand consultant who taught me a great deal about brand strategy, human insights, integrity, the need for rigour, but also humility and generosity. A true gentleman and a scholar (he was actually a professor). Kindest man you would ever meet. Funny too. Crucial.

Second, Miles Young. When I joined The Brand Union as its APAC CEO, Young was running Ogilvy APAC and WPP. I thought I was fairly smart until I met Young! His ability to truly immerse himself in and embrace the local culture to better drive effective solutions was inspiring, and he taught me the value of performance, performance culture and intelligence (I and E).

A+M: What's the harshest criticism you've received and how did you cope with it?

Hudspeth: I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve had very limited “harsh” criticism throughout the years (professionally anyway), but one that I do recall was when I was in my early 30s leading a new media ("digital" in today’s lingo) agency in the UK. The criticism from a new mature client was something along the lines of “Why should I be paying you X amount of money per day as a consultant when you’re so young? What do you know!?”

It helped me on several levels:

1. To focus on my specialist skill sets and hone my communications to be more confident, succinct, and performance led in my articulations.

2. Make sure I always thoroughly understood a client’s business, context and immediate problems they needed to solve – do one’s research and always be curious. Learn, learn, listen. Balance hubris with humility.

A+M: Describe your own management style now as a leader

Hudspeth: Performance-led, inspiring, open, caring and collaborative. Familial.

A+M: What's one thing you wished employees understood about being a leader?

Hudspeth: It is more about people than profit.

A+M: What do you do during your free time?

Hudspeth: Enjoy my family and friends. And a good bottle of Burgundy.

A+M: Where do you find your inspiration?

Hudspeth: Multiple sources: Constant learning. People in general. Tech. My kids. New artists. Old artists. Architecture. Design. Culture. Food

A+M: If not in advertising, where would you be?

Hudspeth: Running a bar and restaurant (again) or making wine in Burgundy whilst curating NFTs for an exclusive art and wine club.

A+M: What advice do you have for someone looking to start a career in the industry?

Hudspeth: Be passionate. If you don’t love it and are not driven by the hunger to win, don’t do it. And if you do choose to do it, always have a safety valve.

A+M: What issue would you like to see the industry change in 2022?

Hudspeth: Be a creative force for genuine kindness and humanity.

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