Why Great Cultures Beat Great Strategies – With Dave Brown

In the newest episode of Mastering Workplace Culture, hosts S. Chris Edmonds and Mark S. Babbitt welcome Dave Brown, a globally recognized brand strategist, entrepreneur, agency founder, and former worldwide FMCG leader at WPP's Brand Union. With more than 35 years of experience helping organizations such as Unilever, Nestlé, Heineken, Reckitt, and SABMiller build iconic brands, Dave shares powerful lessons about leadership, culture, creativity, trust, and organizational growth.

Dave's journey spans the creation of Brown Inc., the pioneering days of digital branding, the growth of international agency teams, the realities of managing global creative organizations, and his current work with Everland, one of Scandinavia's leading branding consultancies. Throughout the conversation, one theme emerges repeatedly: Great cultures happen when leaders align people, purpose, and performance.

One of Dave's most compelling observations: "Clients aren't suppliers. They're partners."
And another: "Success comes from human first, AI second, human third."