Interview with Dame Cilla Snowball

Dame Cilla Snowball joined AMV BBDO in 1992 as the agency’s first New Business Director.

Twenty four years later, she now oversees the 3 companies that comprise the AMV Group in the UK – AMV BBDO, Proximity and Redwood.

Cilla sits on the boards of BBDO Worldwide and Derwent London plc and she chairs the Women's Business Council.  She was awarded the CBE in the 2009 New Year Honours list for services to the advertising industry.

We caught up with Cilla ahead of her appearance at our Inspiring Women Pioneering Spirit Award Dinner on September 21.

What's your favourite thing about your role?

Doing work that makes a difference with smart people.

You’ve worked with some amazing clients. What have been your favourite projects to work on and why?

My favourite projects are always the ones we are working on right now. Rolling out a new platform idea for BT is important and exciting and the Be There work is doing well for BT Sport and Broadband.

If you could choose one career highlight…

It was pretty special getting a job here 25 years ago. I had always wanted to work here.

Who inspires you most, and why?

I am inspired daily by the amazing people and clients I work with and their capacity to engage, innovate and transform.

What does bold marketing leadership look like?

Winning the war for talent, making things simpler for consumers, driving growth.

What’s your vision for the future of the agency?  How does gender equality and diversity fit into that vision?

Theworktheworkthework is the BBDO mantra. Work of influence that moves people at mass scale. Work that works.

Our diversity and equality agenda is busy and urgent. We have a great deal to do both in structuring ourselves to deliver it and walk the talk in our work. The prize is huge on both counts.