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This month, The Weber Shandwick Collective (TWSC) got a new CEO—but it seems like there won’t be much of an adjustment period.
Susan Howe stepped into the chief executive role at the communications agency on Dec. 2, and since joining nearly 29 years ago, she has held successive leadership roles running the gamut from regional general manager to global head of consumer marketing. She succeeds Gail Heimann, a marketing legend in her own right, who announced her retirement earlier this year.
With a tenure approximately equal to Heimann’s, Howe entered the C-suite in 2017, holding two less commonly seen C-suite titles—those of chief collaboration officer and chief growth officer—before ascending to agency president in 2021. Throughout her growth at the agency, she has adhered to a tenet of optimism, using joy and laughter as tools in her problem-solving arsenal.
Howe sat down with ADWEEK to discuss the through lines and particularities of her career journey, the staying power of TWSC, and her thoughts on what’s energizing about the state of communications today.
Her words have been edited for length and clarity.
Picking up pieces
I have chosen to build my career at Weber because it has always afforded me the chance to zig and zag, learn and grow. I think to some people, it might look quite linear because I’m so long tenured in one agency, but in truth, [I] was picking up skills and opportunities every step of the way. You don’t know what piece you’re picking up until you get it all together and you need it for the next thing.
When I was earlier in my career and partnering with clients, I learned how to give and take, push back, and develop ideas. When I ran a couple offices, it was about how to put people in the right role at the right time. When I was able to take on some global experiences, it was all about the context around me, and how local context and culture influences the work we do so fundamentally.
A vital part of our story—and I think this is true for my story as well—is this collaboration “muscle” that is so intrinsic to how we operate. When they named me chief collaboration officer, I think it was a first-of-its-kind C-suite role. It was the recognition that we needed to change the kinds of teams we brought together.