As consumer expectations rise and AI accelerates change, the advertising industry faces a new mandate: fewer, smarter ads that deliver personalization and performance at scale.
In this episode of The Speed of Culture, Matt Britton sits down with Laura Desmond, CEO of Smartly, to explore how advertising is being reshaped by AI and why the next decade won’t be about producing more ads, but creating intelligent creative that adapts in real time.
From her leadership philosophy to Smartly’s industry forum Advance, Laura shares why leading at algorithm speed requires fearless execution, a strong mission, and the courage to get things done.
She delves deep into how AI is transforming campaign production, why CMOs must evolve from cost managers to growth drivers, and how Smartly is convening the industry to rethink outdated models.
Laura Desmond is the CEO of Smartly, the world’s leading AI-powered advertising platform, managing over $6 billion in ad spend for 700+ global brands. At Smartly, she is redefining how media, creative, and intelligence come together to deliver intelligent creative and advertising that adapts in real time to consumer behavior.
She is also the creator of Advance 2025, a global forum convening the industry’s top leaders from Meta, Google, TikTok, Unilever, and more to debate the future of creativity, technology, and consumer connection.
Prior to Smartly, Laura became the youngest CEO in Starcom’s history at 35 and later held senior leadership roles across Publicis Groupe and DoubleVerify. Known for her ability to grow teams, scale organizations, and mentor the next generation of leaders, Laura has built her career on a simple mantra: Get sh*t done.
Key takeaways:
[01:50] Leadership Is About Betting on People and Mission — Laura reflects on lessons from her early years as one of the youngest CEOs in the industry. She explains that leadership is about creating meaning and making three core bets: on yourself to inspire and provide clarity, on your team to grow and win together, and on the mission to keep it relevant to current realities. For Laura, defining reality and helping teams move toward it is what separates managers from leaders who inspire loyalty and long-term impact.
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