Meet the Career Chameleons: Leadership

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That lesson is reflected in Mark McDermott’s even more unlikely leap, from finance into the creative industry.

The partner at Amplify relays how it came to be: “On September 15th 2008, I landed in Buenos Aires for a much-needed holiday, only to see my colleague’s face splashed across The Times under the headline: ‘Lehman Collapse’. In an instant, my job, the industry and the world shifted.” After almost a decade on the Lehman Brothers’ emerging markets fixed income desk, his boss fatefully remarked, “Lights out, dude.” Mark goes on, “It was the push I needed to do something more creative. So I joined our esteemed industry and now I get to mix my creativity and passion with the skills gained on the trading floor.”

Like Niccolò and Christine, Mark demonstrates that the truly resourceful will find transferable skills in every experience. His (rather tumultuous) transition between the finance and creative worlds have given him the “analytical mindset of a trader combined with cultural fluency and storytelling.” That’s something that’s always going to be vital: effectiveness and creativity, business and brand – long-lasting success only comes when they work together.

“Take it from someone who, thanks to the 2008 global financial crisis, has seen the ultimate career disruption,” says Mark, “fluid, nonlinear career paths make our industry more resilient. They bring new perspectives, challenge assumptions and foster adaptability.” Niccolò agrees – that fresh thinking helps connect dots others might miss.