Q & A with Lori Senecal, Global CEO
Lori Senecal has become a true pioneer in the business and marketing worlds. Her impressive resume is filled with work that was completed for industry leaders that are committed to international excellence. At the start of her career, Senecal introduced TAG Ideation, which is a tool that concentrates on marketing to young adults. With dedication and hard work, she climbed the ladder of success. Eventually, she earned the jobs of CIO at the McCann Workgroup and leader at Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal Partners. She incorporated exceptional human resources methodologies, which attracted employees.
Throughout her career, Senecal has been a role model for professional women. She has been outspoken about the importance of female leadership in the business environment. She gave a speech at the “3% Conference,” which promotes the increase of women Creative Directors in this country. Lori has received many awards. In 2014, she was named the “Woman to Watch” by Ad Age. Also, she has created an award, “the Isaac+ Award,” which recognizes students’ creativity. Today, she is Global CEO of Crispin Porter & Bogusky LLC. After reviewing her responses to a number of questions, it is possible to better understand the root of her successes and how others can follow her path.
How do you remain productive each day?
I am a very busy person, but I always find time to energize my body with exercise each morning. It gets my mind flowing with ideas. The rest of my day includes meetings with my leadership team. We discuss the progress being made throughout our 10 offices. Also, I meet with clients so that I remain abreast of their needs and concerns. Making an outline of my daily tasks keeps me focused and productive.
How do you turn your ideas into reality?
The only way to bring ideas to life is with radical collaboration. I try to find people with various talents. Bringing them together helps spark well-rounded thoughts. We all can work toward the same goal. In my office, ideas are boss. It doesn’t matter who has them. If someone proposes thoughts that will move our clients in a positive direction, we run with them and make them realities.
What is a current trend that excites or intrigues you?
I like the shift that is occurring from brand managing to actions. Brand actions are influencing customers like never before. “Actions speaking louder than words” is a phrase that is definitely true in today’s market. That definitely excites and intrigues me.
Name one habit that makes you a productive CEO.
Being a leader is not easy. It is not something that comes naturally to a lot of people. It took me many years to learn the true role of a CEO. It is much more than managing multiple departments. A CEO must have a vision. That is very important. However, it is even more important to follow through with ideas and to make sure that they become reality. If too much time is spent planning and creating a vision that is unattainable, nothing gets accomplished.
Are there any apps that you can’t live without?
Technology is a wonderful thing, especially when you have to deal with businesses across the globe. Apps help me with simple things like checking the weather and time at various locations. This is very helpful when I am planning a trip or trying to schedule a meeting. Also, I enjoy the social aspect of apps. I use Twitter and Instagram frequently. They help me see what is going on in the world and helps me track my memories.
Has there been anyone who has had a major influence over your career?
There have been quite a few, so it is difficult to pinpoint just one person. I appreciate everyone who has championed my ideas and truly believed that I could make a positive mark in the business world. Without all of the support, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today. This is why I try to offer the same type of support to others.
If you could start over, is there anything that you would change?
After living life, it is easy to think about doing things differently. When you are young, you don’t have much confidence in yourself. I certainly didn’t. I was distracted by fear and didn’t always move forward like I should have done. In my early days, the world seemed very scary. I felt like one wrong move could have ruined my entire career. Looking back, this was not the case at all. Now, I realize that it is important to believe in yourself. I recommend to anyone who is starting out that it is vital to focus your energy and to push ahead at all times. With this attitude, good things are sure to come your way.
