Pre-Upfront Conversation with Irwin Gotlieb, Advertising's Visionary Strategist (VIDEO)

As the founding chairman of GroupM -- the world’s largest media investment company -- Irwin Gotlieb is not just a legend in the advertising industry; he is one of its most influential architects. His fingerprints have been on nearly every major shift in media planning and buying over the last five decades. Myers, an equally respected media ecologist and author of The Tao of Leadership in the AI Era, brings his signature blend of sharp critique and big-picture thinking to the discussion, making this installment of Profiles in Leadership both intimate and urgent.

The conversation opens with a striking tone of candor and concern. Gotlieb speaks with characteristic precision about his frustrations with today’s media business environment. Myers goes even further, confessing a deep disillusionment with what he sees as an industry increasingly void of integrity and soul. Their mutual concern sets the stage for a sobering yet constructive exchange about where the business has been -- and where it must go.

Central to their dialogue is the crisis facing legacy media companies. Gotlieb, never one to pull punches, calls out the obsession with short-term financial performance, warning that it’s stifling innovation and eroding the foundation of companies like Comcast and Paramount. While he credits Disney for strategically embracing streaming, he points out that most legacy players are failing to invest in the future. The consequences, he notes, are not just financial -- they’re existential.

This concern flows into Gotlieb’s long-time battle against advertising fraud and waste. He revisits his work at GroupM, where he championed rigorous viewability standards, and laments how procurement practices now undermine effectiveness by prioritizing price overvalue.

But this is not a session of complaint. It’s a blueprint for how leadership must evolve. Gotlieb and Myers explore the structural and philosophical shifts needed in both agency and client ecosystems. They advocate for restoring trust in client-agency relationships, rooting those partnerships in shared goals rather than commodified transactions. Gotlieb, in particular, challenges brands to ask themselves whether their agencies are true partners or mere vendors -- and to act accordingly.

A major throughline of the discussion is the role of AI and quantum computing in redefining the media landscape. Gotlieb sees immense potential in AI-powered platforms that can integrate creative and media functions for enhanced efficiency and personalization. He also shares his excitement about quantum computing’s ability to accelerate data processing, particularly in complex domains like autonomous driving and media optimization. Yet, both leaders emphasize that human oversight remains indispensable -- especially when creativity, ethics, and nuanced decision-making are involved.

Beyond the headlines and hot takes, what makes this conversation so compelling is its humanity. Gotlieb opens up about his personal passions -- his custom-designed audio systems, his return to piano playing after 50 years -- and reflects on the family trade-offs of career ambition, offering a reminder that leadership is not just about business outcomes, but the legacy one leaves behind.

At its core, this Profiles in Leadership conversation is a call to action. It’s a plea for reinvestment in long-term strategy, for the elevation of standards in advertising measurement and effectiveness, and for a re-centering of integrity in leadership. Myers and Gotlieb do not offer easy answers -- but they do offer clarity, and in today’s noisy, disrupted media world, that is more valuable than ever.

To experience this masterclass in leadership, transformation, and foresight, watch the full conversation at www.legendsleaders.org. For anyone committed to shaping the future of media and advertising with vision and purpose, it’s essential viewing.