{"id":37573,"date":"2025-12-08T23:09:25","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T23:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prophet.com\/?p=37573"},"modified":"2025-12-15T22:31:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T22:31:35","slug":"how-the-chief-marketing-innovation-officer-at-ets-leads-transformation-with-creativity-and-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prophet.com\/2025\/12\/how-the-chief-marketing-innovation-officer-at-ets-leads-transformation-with-creativity-and-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"Uncommon Growth Leader: How to Lead with Creativity and Collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Uncommon Growth Leader: How to Lead with Creativity and Collaboration<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Uncommon Growth Leaders<\/strong> is an article series featuring bold leaders driving faster, smarter, more sustainable, more human and more actionable growth \u2014 what we call uncommon growth.<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Chiaki Nishino, President of Prophet, sat down with\u00a0Michelle\u00a0Froah,\u00a0a global\u00a0marketing and\u00a0innovation\u00a0leader, to explore the leadership traits needed to drive impact in a world\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0anything but ordinary. In a conversation packed with insight and real-world examples, Michelle opens\u00a0up about\u00a0challenging legacy thinking, co-creating across silos, and why slowing down can sometimes help you move faster.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s high-pressure environment, there\u2019s constant pressure to deliver growth. How do you push boundaries when it\u2019s often easier or expected to do things the way they\u2019ve always been done? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Michelle Froah:<\/strong> One of the most powerful skills I lean on is co-creative problem solving. It\u2019s not about having all the answers, it\u2019s about bringing together brilliant people from across the business, especially those who\u2019ve been working in silos and building solutions together. When teams feel ownership and safety to challenge norms, innovation happens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A great example is when I was working at CoverGirl. At the time, the \u201ceyes\u201d category \u2014 mascara, eyeshadow, eyeliner \u2014 was seen as a small piece of the business. But when we dug into the data, we found that eyes had higher velocity and margin than any other category. That insight reframed how we approached strategy and led to innovations like LashBlast, which ultimately elevated the entire brand. It was a team effort powered by data, creativity and cross-functional collaboration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a perfect example of disruptive thinking. What leadership trait do you rely on to drive that kind of disruptive change? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MF:<\/strong> Hands down: collaboration. It\u2019s often called a \u201csoft skill,\u201d but in reality, it\u2019s one of the most durable leadership capabilities. At ETS, we tackled a full transformation: business strategy, brand and innovation. But we couldn\u2019t do it alone. ETS\u00a0is a\u00a075-year-old nonprofit with a deep research legacy, so we had to bring everyone along\u00a0from\u00a0researchers\u00a0to\u00a0business units,\u00a0to functions including\u00a0marketers. Only by\u00a0co-creating\u00a0together did we launch a new brand and strategy in under nine months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People think rebranding is about logos and colors. It\u2019s not. It\u2019s about aligning everyone around a shared mission. When we unveiled the new brand, everyone walked out as a brand ambassador. That only happens when transformation is co-owned.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sounds like leading change requires both vision and execution. How do you balance the two? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MF:<\/strong> You absolutely need both. When you set a bold vision<\/strong>, and then break it into tangible building blocks, you make big change feel possible and doable. Leaders need to set a future that feels bold, even a little scary, but also provide clear steps so teams see how to get there.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve seen this in practice at both Samsung and ETS. At Samsung, we rebuilt customer trust after the Note7 crisis by directly engaging our most loyal customers and partnering our marketing with customer service, something that hadn\u2019t been done before. At ETS, we ensured that transformation wasn\u2019t just a marketing initiative, but something embedded across business units, research and operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In both cases, it was about setting a vision and then collaborating across silos to make it real. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you stay inspired to lead through all this complexity and pressure? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MF:<\/strong> Two things: First, I stay close to the work. I host working sessions, not just decision meetings. I want my teams to feel like we\u2019re in it together not just presenting for my approval. It builds trust, encourages team development and gets better solutions faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, I look outside the walls of the organization. I stay active with groups like the ANA and The Marketing Society, sit on advisory boards and take the opportunity to mentor and be mentored.It keeps me curious, humble and open to ideas from completely different industries\u00a0and perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collaboration clearly plays a big role in your leadership style. How do you build a team culture that supports creativity and experimentation? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Michelle:<\/strong> You\u2019ve got to embed it in the culture. It starts with accountability and investment in talent. At P&G, where I spent 18 years, 50% of your performance rating was based on results and the other 50% on organizational capability \u2014 how you developed your teams and others across the organization. That instilled in me a responsibility to grow talent\u00a0that delivers outcomes, not\u00a0just\u00a0deliver outcomes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I always ensure that my teams have personal development objectives. Growth can mean deepening expertise or stepping into new, uncomfortable spaces to expand capabilities. Either way, it forces collaboration, mentoring and continuous learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s been one of your biggest leadership challenges to drive growth? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MF:<\/strong> The biggest challenge is often inertia, the resistance to new ways of thinking. But if you can tap into people\u2019s sense of purpose and show them the value they\u2019re creating, you turn skeptics into lifelong partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transformation is hard and can invoke skepticism. At Samsung, during the Note 7 crisis, we had to rebuild trust. And we did this by engaging our most loyal customers and working hand-in-hand with the customer service team to create new experiences like white-glove service. It pushed us to innovate in ways we hadn\u2019t before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At ETS, launching a new business unit and workforce solution was an investment that required significant buy in across the organization. But when you tap into people\u2019s desire to make a difference, you gain an opportunity to build relationships that may turn into lifelong partnerships.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final question: What\u2019s the anchor point of your leadership \u2014 something you rely on no matter where you\u2019ve worked? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

MF:<\/strong> I\u2019m naturally driven, fast-paced and not afraid of change or risk. One of my favorite poems is The Road Not Taken<\/em>, because I\u2019ve always chosen the less-traveled path.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I\u2019ve learned that sometimes slowing down helps you go faster. When you give others time to catch up emotionally and strategically you get stronger buy-in, better ideas and faster momentum in the long run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So yes, I still love a good sprint. But I now know when to pause and bring people along. That\u2019s how you turn a big idea into a movement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Michelle\u00a0Froah<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is an accomplished global executive recognized for driving business transformation, modernizing brands, and leading digital and AI-enabled growth across complex global organizations. She most recently served as Global Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer and SVP of Corporate Solutions at ETS, where she helped return the company to profitable performance and built new growth pathways through enterprise innovation, AI strategy and the launch of\u00a0Futurenav, a workforce solutions venture.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across senior roles at MetLife, Samsung, Kimberly-Clark, and Procter & Gamble, Michelle has shaped global brands, guided digital transformation, strengthened customer-centric strategy, and scaled organizational capability across diverse, regulated, and high-growth industries. Her leadership has been recognized with industry honors including\u00a0AdWeek\u2019s\u00a0AI Trailblazer Power 100,\u00a0Campaign\u2019s 40 Over 40, Business Insider\u2019s\u00a0CMO to Watch and multiple\u00a0Brand Innovators Top 100\u00a0Women distinctions.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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