'Creative leadership is no longer about ownership'

The Day 2 panel at Goafest 2025 titled ‘WTF is Creative Leadership Now?’ brought together an illustrious lineup of industry veterans to dissect the evolving dynamics of creative leadership in advertising. 

Moderated by Rohit Ohri, Founder of OHRIGINAL, the session featured candid, critical, and deeply insightful perspectives from Bobby Pawar, poet, storyteller and consultant, Sonal Dabral, creative consultant/Film Director Tribha, Senthil Kumar, Chief Creative Officer of VML, and Lulu Raghavan, President APAC Landor.

Bobby Pawar opened the discussion by framing the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) as the “right brain” of the agency — the essential “instigator-in-chief” who must remain at the center of all agency operations. 

He lamented the dilution of creativity as agencies chased tech and consulting-driven transformations, often sidelining the creative mandate. According to Pawar, the CCO's role has become overburdened, causing burnout and compromising effectiveness. 

He stressed the necessity of structural support and championed the centrality of creativity in business, warning, “If you're not in an agency where the CCO is central, you're in the wrong one.”

Sonal Dabral expanded on the transformation of the CCO role from a pure creative lead to a brand visionary and business strategist. 

Today’s CCO, he argued, must influence beyond campaigns—driving business growth, cultural resonance, and organizational inspiration. With the advent of AI, Dabral acknowledged the influx of data-driven insights but emphasized that human creativity and cultural nuance remain irreplaceable. 

He advocated for a CCO who not only evolves with the times but also nurtures emerging talent and becomes a magnet for creativity within the agency culture.

Senthil Kumar asserted that creativity is far from dead—it’s simply evolving. He positioned the CCO as a “playing captain” who must lead from the front while building and empowering creative teams. 

For Kumar, the idea is still the “center of the universe,” and the CCO must act as both a curator and a creator, uniting diverse talents to deliver transformative solutions. His vision of creative leadership is hands-on, deeply collaborative, and relentlessly idea-centric.

Lulu Raghavan offered a sharply strategic take, arguing that agencies have lost their creative soul in the pursuit of revenue and digital transformation. She called for a re-elevation of the CCO role as the heartbeat of the agency, asserting that CCOs must be fearless in championing bold ideas rather than capitulating to client or business pressures. 

With the rise of influencer-creators and shifting creative standards, Raghavan stressed the importance of adaptability and bravery, declaring, “Creative leadership must be the supreme role in any agency.”

Rohit Ohri moderated the session, steering the conversation toward the future of leadership in the creative industry. 

He challenged traditional power structures, suggesting that the modern CCO is less about being the loudest in the room and more about creating an environment where creativity thrives.

The session concluded on a unified note: creative leadership is no longer about ownership—it’s about vision, empowerment, and relentless advocacy for ideas in an increasingly complex, collaborative world.

(Transcribed by Nandita Srivastava)