Your Future in Sales & Marketing

[axr] Recruitment & Search

A podcast that can help you make great decisions to get the most out of your Sales & Marketing career. In this podcast, Your hosts from [axr]’s specialist sales and marketing recruitment team will introduce you to the [axr] network of established senior leaders, and a handpicked group of future aspiring leaders who have it all in front of them.   You’ll learn what it’s like in the top job and how to get there.   You can also expect bonus career episodes on how to work with recruiters, write a resume and smash an interview, as well as our very popular market updates.   It’s the podcast that has it all. You just can’t get this career advice anywhere else!

  1. 1h ago

    Episode 149: Jodie Lynch | The Move That Changed How She Leads

    Send us Fan Mail Recorded on 28 August 2026. References and observations reflect the context at the time of recording. In this episode of Your Future in Sales and Marketing, we're joined by Jodie Lynch, Head of Marketing ANZ at Bayer's consumer health division, to explore leading outside your expertise, building a career around purpose and how AI is reshaping marketing. Jodie built her career across Church & Dwight, Schwarzkopf and Henkel before making the boldest move of her career: stepping into Head of Supply Chain at Henkel for around four years, including through COVID, despite having no background in the function. She later returned to marketing, leading a major brand transformation at Blackmores, before joining Bayer two and a half years ago. She now leads the entire ANZ marketing function, sitting on the senior leadership team, and has spent the past year rolling out a new agile working model that puts the consumer at the centre of how her teams operate. In this episode, we explore: - How to lead a team when you have zero expertise in what they do. - Why the scariest move of her career became one of the most defining. - What non-linear career moves can teach you that a straight climb can't. - Where AI genuinely helps marketers, and where human judgement still wins. Jodie's story is a powerful example of what happens when curiosity meets courage, and why the career move that scares you most might be the one that changes how you lead for good.

  2. Jun 18

    Episode 144: Nick Cook | From Hyundai to Mad Mex: Building Bold Brands, Fast Decisions & Fearless Marketing

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Your Future in Sales and Marketing, Ben Carnegie is joined by Nick Cook, General Manager of Marketing at Mad Mex, for a deep dive into a career shaped by agency creativity, automotive scale, and fast-moving QSR execution. Nick shares how his early days across multiple agencies - including Euro RSCG (now Havas), DDB, and Saatchi & Saatchi helped him develop a strong foundation in creative craft and brand thinking. While agency life built his appreciation for execution, it was his move client-side to Hyundai that gave him exposure to complex, global marketing environments, including dealer networks, cultural differences in Korean HQ structures, and the early evolution of EV adoption and performance branding. The conversation then shifts to his current role at Mad Mex, where he leads a broad generalist marketing function spanning product development, pricing, digital, and communications. Nick unpacks what it means to operate in a founder-led, franchise-driven QSR business where speed, clarity, and influence are essential. He also shares standout campaign stories, including collaborations with Liquid Death and Smith’s Chips, as well as product innovation work like the launch of “Baja Fries” - a deliberately bold move designed to reinforce Mad Mex’s edgy, flavour-first positioning. Throughout the episode, Nick reflects on leadership lessons from the Marketing Academy, the importance of vulnerability in team culture, and why great marketing leaders must focus on both strategy and the bravery of execution. A must-listen for marketers navigating agency-to-client transitions, or anyone working in fast-paced, competitive brand environments.

  3. May 26

    Episode 143: Serge Costi | FMCG Brand Building & Leadership: Diageo, Lion, and Scaling Milk Lab into a Global Success

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Future in Sales & Marketing, Ben Carnegie is joined by Serge Costi, General Manager of Marketing at Noumi, the company behind leading dairy and plant-based beverage brands including Milk Lab. Serge shares his journey through some of the world’s most influential FMCG organisations, from early career experiences at George Weston Foods to nearly a decade at Diageo, where he worked across iconic brands such as Bundaberg Rum and Smirnoff in both domestic and global roles. He reflects on what it takes to build world-class brands, scale across international markets, and adapt strategy across vastly different cultural and consumer landscapes. The conversation explores key career-defining moments, including Serge’s move into global headquarters in New York, and how exposure to emerging markets shaped his thinking on localisation, brand building, and growth strategy. He also discusses major innovation work at Lion, including category-shaping developments in non-alcoholic and gluten-free beer, and the importance of combining consumer insight with bold execution. Now at Noumi, Serge leads marketing across a diverse portfolio spanning Australia and international markets, overseeing brands like Milk Lab, which has scaled into 24 countries and become a category leader in café channels globally. He breaks down how Milk Lab was built from a niche performance solution for baristas into a globally scalable brand, and why focusing on solving real industry problems has been central to its success. The episode also covers leadership development through the Marketing Academy, the value of self-awareness in leadership, and Serge’s work as an executive coach, where he sees common challenges across industries including prioritisation, performance conversations, and career progression. Finally, Serge shares practical advice for marketers looking to broaden their experience across FMCG channels, emphasising the importance of working across retail, food service, and international markets to build a well-rounded commercial skillset.

About

A podcast that can help you make great decisions to get the most out of your Sales & Marketing career. In this podcast, Your hosts from [axr]’s specialist sales and marketing recruitment team will introduce you to the [axr] network of established senior leaders, and a handpicked group of future aspiring leaders who have it all in front of them.   You’ll learn what it’s like in the top job and how to get there.   You can also expect bonus career episodes on how to work with recruiters, write a resume and smash an interview, as well as our very popular market updates.   It’s the podcast that has it all. You just can’t get this career advice anywhere else!

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