Leading Questions with Stephen Woodford – The Advertising Association
Leading Questions
The CEO of the Advertising Association answers our probing and quick-fire Leading Questions.
Stephen Woodford has been the CEO of the Advertising Association (AA) since October 2016.
We ask him about his leadership approach, how to stay ahead of industry disruption, and his advice for equipping people with the skills and confidence to use AI.
Leadership
What are the principles that guide your leadership approach?
I’ve always tried to use my leadership roles to create a place a younger me would want to work in, part inspired by working in places the younger me wanted to escape from.
Striving to be a great employer, delegating as much responsibility as possible, creating opportunities for people to do their best work and to grow their confidence and skills. Being a great place to work that supports people to do their best is a surefire strategy for long-term business success.
How do you define success as a leader in today’s media landscape?
Tom Peters wrote Thriving on Chaos in the late 80’s, describing a world where change and disruption were constant, but the difference today is the speed of change and the scale of disruption.
The principles he set out then are even more relevant to success today. Leaders must design their businesses so that rapid change is seen as normal, authority is as widely delegated as possible, and learning is continuous. And, of course, with customers at the heart of everything you do.
How do you personally stay ahead of industry disruption?
At the AA, much of our work is at the forefront of industry change, and a key element of our value is our convening power, bringing people together to work on shared challenges and opportunities.
We work across many areas of ‘pre-competitive collaboration’ to move the industry forward, so more businesses can succeed in a rapidly changing environment. So, we see industry players dealing with disruption firsthand, and I try to make sure our work is directed at the biggest challenges and opportunities we face.
People and Culture
What’s your approach to developing future leaders within your organisation?
The IPA CPD programme really helps grow our talent, and we’ve got a good track record of promoting from within, which is a testament to that.
We’re a small team with a wide breadth of skills and specialist expertise, and a shared passion for our industry. Our people develop by delivering value to our members and, through them, to the wider industry.
How do you build and maintain a strong company culture in times of rapid change?
Three things that work for us. First, we are proud participants in the IPA’s CPD programme and have achieved Platinum accreditation. It is a brilliant scheme that creates a framework for personal development linked to business goals.
Second, regularly surveying our staff and acting on that feedback to make it a better place to work.
Finally, having clear values as a business and rewarding behaviours that exemplify these.
AI, Innovation and Skills
How is AI changing the way you lead and make decisions?
We’re seeing how AI is changing the industry through our own AI Taskforce, which is doing great work. For me, equipping our people with the skills and confidence to use AI to augment and accelerate their work is the key focus.
I recommend our Taskforce’s latest output, Cracking AI Skills for Advertising, written by my brilliant colleague, Konrad Shek. It’s free for our members on the AA website and also available on Amazon at a very modest price, given its value.
I chair the AI working group within the DCMS Online Advertising Taskforce, and we’ve just published a best-practice guide on its responsible use. These two publications are guiding me personally on how to use AI to its full potential.
Why the advertising industry can’t afford to get AI skills wrong
What skills will define successful media leaders in the next decade?
People skills are going to be even more important – strengthening customers’ trust in your business, building talented and collaborative teams and making work as interesting and rewarding as possible for your people. And of course, AI used well can supercharge all these people skills.
The Quick-fire Round
Which book would you make required reading for all media leaders?
Trusted Advertising (Great plug – Ed), written by two more brilliant colleagues, Matt Bourn and James Best. It’s the handbook for anyone looking to build trust in advertising and reap the rewards of greater trust, wherever you operate in the market.
Trust in advertising reached a five-year high in 2025, but there’s much more we can do, and this book has distilled the insights and expertise to guide us.
What’s your go-to source for inspiration when you need it — work or otherwise?
Going for a run – it’s the miracle solution to solving problems, coming up with new ideas and feeling better about life.
Media lunch or media breakfast meeting and why?
Whichever suits my guest – I love good food at any time of day, and sharing a meal is one of the best ways to have good conversations.
Which media leader would you like to answer Leading Questions next?
Natalie Bell, EMEA CEO, OMD. An inspiring media agency leader with an award-winning track record.