Over the past decade I’ve launched and scaled strategy functions inside fast-moving global media companies — driving double-digit growth by establishing departments where culture is the default operating system, story-led platforms are the engine, and success is measured in long-term brand relevance for the world’s biggest advertisers.
When I’m not leading high-performing, award-winning teams, I write Carb Load — a newsletter covering cultural analysis, industry hot takes, and conversations with other creatives, inspired by the idea that good strategy is a lot like endurance sport: a deeply rewarding pursuit — as long as you can tolerate the occasional suffering.
"Brendan has a way of blowing me away with strong and thoughtful ideas. He’s a creative leader, a thinker, and always accountable to his internal partners. I was lucky enough to work with him and know you will feel the same."
HSBC needed to reposition itself globally, speaking to a new breed of internationally mobile creators, founders and entreprenuers.
Today’s emerging business leaders move through the world differently. Business media hasn’t kept pace.
The Impact
The Challenge
The Strategy
The opportunity was to rethink how business intelligence appears in culture — moving beyond traditional reporting to create a dynamic content system built for a globally mobile audience.
Grounded in deep audience and cultural research, the platform identified the economic, technological and cultural forces shaping modern markets — translating them into clear, story-led narratives designed for moments of movement: commutes, travel and in-between time.
This insight informed a suite of distinct editorial series, each with its own visual language and intellectual territory. Distributed across a coordinated ecosystem of formats and channels, the system delivered sharp, portable intelligence to globally curious operators wherever they encountered content.
The result positioned HSBC not simply as a financial institution, but as a platform for global ambition — connecting the brand with a new generation of internationally minded founders and business leaders.
The platform delivered exceptional audience attention across all markets, with brand tracking showing a +25% uplift in purchase intent. This impact translated into a fundamental shift in HSBC’s brand health framework — including a 100% increase in recommendability — rewiring how the bank resonates with internationally mobile founders, creators and entrepreneurs.
The Awards
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"One of our missions has been to create genuine, inspiring and cutting-edge thought leadership events with leaders at the forefront of creativity and impact — and Brendan’s talks always deliver on that front. He is by far one of the best speakers and leaders we’ve had in our space."
I spend a lot of time speaking at industry events — sharing perspectives on culture, creativity and the forces shaping modern brands. Whether it’s a local gathering or a global stage, the focus is always the same: making sense of what’s changing, and what that means in practice.
I’ve contributed to sought-after industry resources, including representing the UK internationally alongside Trevor Robinson OBE, having my recommendations featured in Campaign, and speaking across panels, stages and podcasts — exploring everything from belonging to AI to optimism as a force multiplier for impactful work.
