Laila GunesekereMartenstyn is the Vice President of Dentsu Grant. She has twice been the President of the IAA and twice the President of the 4A’s. A multiple award winner including Woman of Achievement, Advertising Woman of the Year, Woman Super Achiever, The Leadership Award and 1000 voices award among others. She was a student of Bishop’s College Colombo and the University of Bombay India. She has spent the last 30 years in different facets of Advertising.
You have been in the industry for over 30 years. What motivated you to never change careers?
For many years the concept of advertising & communication inspired me. It meant honing yourself into a master of many different things. I abhor being bored and advertising is anything but! Every new day brings new challenges with varied brands and diverse clients. Wearing a multitude of hats appealed to me.
Is there a difference in the industry today versus 15 years ago?
A diametric difference I believe. Back then, the industry was passionate about originality and creativity, obsessed with quality and fanatic about selfimprovement, training and accelerating the next generation. There is still a tremendous energy and hype around the industry, but it is shadowed as most industries are, by today’s all-consuming push for profits at any cost, thereby sometimes giving up elements that made us stand out previously. Of course, profits are what we are in existence for, but today a basic principle seems to have been forgotten. Hire talented people, pay them well, run a happy, inspiring and motivating business… this leads to great work and profits automatically follow.
What makes a good leader in advertising?
A good leader knows instinctively that people are a priority. It’s your primary asset and nothing positive comes from a bunch of demoralized individuals. Good leaders roll up their sleeves and do the dirty work themselves. That’s how you earn respect from your employees. A good leader encourages “Diversity of Opinion”. If you don’t have anyone challenging you, you have a problem. A bunch of yes men, telling you what you want to hear does not help progress. Finally – and this is a personal belief..
A good leader sees the value of work life balance, encourages staff talent outside of the office and has a formidable vision that is all inclusive.
Why do you think you are the success people say you are? Easy answer – because nothing ever came easy for me! I started at the very bottom and everything I achieved was earned by the sweat of my brow. When you work very hard, walk the rocky road, struggle – and then overcome, you develop a sense of empathy with people. You want to elevate the less privileged. You also know beyond doubt that knowledge is power and the respect of your clients and peers in the industry is everything. For me learning & being trained is integral to success and I strive to be exposed to what’s going on in the world as often as I can. God allowed some hard knocks and tough phases in my life which sharpened me and made me a better me!
What is the future of advertising?
New trends, new mediums and the digital world will infuse new energy into the industry. Content and advertising will become so interlinked we won’t know which is which. A slicker, quicker, more digitized world awaits our consumer. We have merely scratched the surface of digital potential. So much more excitement and opportunities await.
What does creativity mean to you?
Being creative is not confined to words and pictures. Creativity in essence is to make something exist that did not exist before. The ability to express yourself in a novel and unique way. Perhaps something could be inspired from previously existing ideas and experiences but mixed with your own personality and flavour – it’s still creative!
What has been your greatest professional achievement?
I have received many, many accolades and awards and each one is special and precious in their own way. I like to win!! A true achievement of a different nature is that both my children followed me in to the same field. Not sure, in the present day that this would have been my choice of career for them but nevertheless I must have done something right to make this their choice. They are more balanced than me and are already handling their careers better than me – so I guess they’ll do fine!
What are you most proud of?
That would be my family. My husband is a man of great ethics and has become a best selling author of Marine Life. We have 4 distinctly different sons, who spice up our lives. My mother is my biggest fan and my brother & nephews are super sterling human beings. I am also hugely lucky to have awesome inlaws (not everyone can say that!) and fabulous, fabulous friends. Friends are the family you choose. People matter to me more than things and for the people in my life I am proud and grateful.
Last question, if you lived your life again,
would you get into the advertising industry?
If you asked me this question 10 years ago, I would have answered with a resounding yes. Today, I still believe in this crazy world of wonderful people and eternal challenges but the ‘yes’ is less emphatic! bmd