December 2025
20 Questions
Facing the 20 Questions this month is Bryan Foster, our Head of Marketing Strategy and part of the leadership team.
Q1. What pivotal moment or specific challenge early in your career fundamentally changed how you approach your work?
A defining moment came during my first role as a marketing analyst at Insight Marketing Solutions. I had been tasked with analysing a large set of consumer behaviour data to inform an upcoming campaign. It was the first time I saw, with complete clarity, how data could illuminate not only what customers were doing, but why they were doing it. That experience solidified my belief that strategy must always be rooted in evidence. It changed the way I approached marketing from that point onwards – no assumptions, no guesswork, just clear insights guiding meaningful decisions. That early lesson has shaped every strategy I’ve developed since.
Q2. What is the single biggest misconception people have about your role or department, and what’s the real story?
There’s a common belief that strategy is about lofty ideas dreamt up in isolation. In reality, effective strategy is grounded, structured and incredibly practical. It requires careful listening, robust analysis, and a deep understanding of the client’s wider business environment. Strategy isn’t about predicting the future, it’s about preparing for it. My team and I work to map out opportunities, foresee challenges and align actions with long-term goals. When strategy is done properly, it becomes the steady backbone that informs every other decision.
Q3. Looking ahead, what is the one thing you are most determined to change or innovate within the company in the next year?
I’d like to build a more integrated system for identifying early market signals. With rapid shifts in AI, consumer expectations and sustainability, businesses need to anticipate changes rather than react to them. My focus is on developing a framework that helps our clients adopt a more proactive approach to strategy – one that is continually updated, tested and refined. It’s about making strategic thinking an everyday habit, not an annual exercise.
Q4. If you had to summarise your leadership philosophy in just three words, what would they be?
Clarity, consistency, curiosity. Strategic work demands precision, but it also requires open-mindedness and a willingness to explore new ideas. I aim to bring structure and steadiness while encouraging the team to question assumptions and challenge convention.
Q5. What skill that you learned outside of your formal education has been most crucial to your success here?
Patience. Strategy unfolds over time – results aren’t always immediate. Patience has taught me to stay focused on long-term outcomes without becoming distracted by short-term noise. It’s also helped me mentor younger strategists, giving them the room to grow and develop their own thinking styles.
Q6. How do you ensure that your team stays creative and takes calculated risks, even when the stakes are high?
I emphasise structure as a means of enabling creativity, not restricting it. When people understand the strategic boundaries – the audience, the objectives, the market realities, they feel freer to explore bold ideas. I also encourage experimentation through small, controlled tests. This gives team members the confidence to innovate without fear of failure. Risk becomes manageable, thoughtful and, ultimately, valuable.
Q7. What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received, and who gave it to you?
A mentor once told me, “Never confuse activity with progress.” It’s stayed with me throughout my career. Strategy is not about doing more – it’s about doing what matters. That advice has helped me cut through complexity and focus on actions that genuinely move the needle.
Q8. How has the company culture evolved since you started, and what role do you play in shaping it now?
Since joining JMS in 2020, I’ve seen the organisation mature in its strategic thinking. There’s a stronger appetite for insight-driven decision-making, and a growing recognition that strategy is a shared discipline, not a silo. I contribute by working closely with all departments, ensuring that strategic clarity underpins client work and internal planning. Mentoring has been another key part of my role, helping develop the next generation of strategists who will shape the company’s future.
Q9. Describe a time when a project failed, and what you, or the team, learned from that experience.
Earlier in my career, I worked on a campaign that underperformed because we prioritised creative ambition over strategic fit. The concept was clever, but it didn’t align with audience needs. That experience reinforced the importance of letting strategy guide execution, not the other way around. Creativity is essential, but it must be accountable to the bigger picture.
Q10. What is a quality you actively look for and try to mentor in junior employees?
Critical thinking. It’s easy to follow a template; it’s harder to interpret market signals, challenge assumptions and make informed decisions. I encourage juniors to ask “why” at every stage and to look beyond surface-level trends to understand the deeper forces at play.
Q11. What is your favourite non-work-related book, podcast, or hobby, and how does it influence your leadership style?
I’ve always enjoyed reading biographies, particularly of business leaders and innovators. They offer rich insight into how people think, adapt and lead through change. That perspective influences my leadership by reminding me that strategy is ultimately about people, how they behave, what motivates them and how they respond to challenge
Q12. Where do you go or what do you do when you need to completely disconnect and recharge?
A quiet afternoon with a book or a long walk is usually all I need. Stepping away from constant analysis gives me space to think freely, and many of my best ideas have surfaced during those moments of calm.
Q13. If you could have dinner with any three people (living or historical) to discuss strategy, who would they be and why?
I’d invite Peter Drucker for his foundational thinking on management, Steve Jobs for his ability to align vision with execution, and Tim Berners-Lee for his insights into global digital transformation. Together, they’d bring an extraordinary blend of pragmatism, creativity and foresight.
Q14. What piece of technology or simple tool can you not live without (and why isn’t it your phone)?
My notebook, an old-fashioned one, nothing digital. I use it to sketch out ideas, map connections and reflect on decisions. It keeps my thinking clear and grounded before I translate anything into formal strategy.
Q15. If you weren’t in this industry, what completely different career path do you think you would have followed?
I might have pursued academia. I’ve always enjoyed research, teaching and exploring complex ideas. There’s a part of me that still finds the intellectual rigour of academic work appealing.
Q16. What’s one thing you are currently learning (professional or personal)?
The latest developments in AI-driven predictive analytics and their implications for long-term market planning.
Q17. What is your go-to method for starting a challenging conversation?
I begin by establishing the shared goal, then address the issue with directness and respect.
Q18. What do you believe is the next big trend that will disrupt our industry?
Predictive personalisation – strategies driven by advanced data modelling that anticipate customer behaviour before it happens.
Q19. What makes you most proud to work for this company?
The commitment to thoughtful, insight-driven work. JMS prioritises integrity and value over shortcuts.
Q20. What is one personal habit or routine that contributes most to your daily productivity?
Reviewing my priorities early each morning, anchoring my day in clear direction before the inevitable complexities arrive.