20 - Jesh Sukwani : Asia’s Edge, Media’s Future & The Power of Travel Data

Host James Welch, a former 24-7 Media innovation captain, grills Global Media and Marketing Transformation Executive Jesh Sukwani—the mastermind who once led Zaxis behind the Great Firewall in China for WPP. Now based in Milan, Jesh shares his winning strategies for future-proofing a CMO’s toolkit. Tune in as they dive deep into the revolution shaping the future of global media, marketing, and data.

Interview Guide

This chat follows our "Signals & Sparks" format, where we find the method in the madness and the data behind the creative spark. Here’s what we covered:

The Signal in the Noise: Jesh sees Asia—spanning from the UAE to Japan—as a powerful signal for the future, noting its energetic, can-do mentality and advancements in creative industries and the democratisation of AI. He highlights the development of cost-effective, mixed-model AI solutions and the success of B2C platforms like TikTok, which created an entire content creation industry.

Connecting the Dots: Jesh, who spent almost five years leading media and the COE at Lenovo/Motorola, is focused on the changing dynamics of how brands engage with media agencies. He argues that an updated compensation model is required to utilise first-party data effectively to develop models and drive better outcomes, connecting media, technology, and data. Jesh also stresses the under-monetisation of travel data, which he categorises as a subsection of retail media, and the opportunity to use audience data (e.g., specific flight routes) to target audiences with intent, consideration, and a strong call to action.

Quick-fire. The quick-fire round to get to know them better:

Hero: Too many to name, referring to all the people who have been alongside him on his journey, both privately and professionally.

Best Decision: Coming into and remaining in the media and marketing industry, calling it dynamic, changing, and potentially the most profitable.

Worst Decision: Underestimating his own abilities and not taking a leap of faith to move to Dubai or the Caribbean when he had the opportunities early in his career.

A Bright Spark: Anthony Rhind, a London-based executive with a fascinating career path spanning agency, tech, and media.

📍Keywords:

Jesh Sukwani, Asia’s edge, media future, travel data, digital Asia, media evolution, Asian innovation, travel analytics, media transformation, data insights, digital disruption, travel intelligence, Asia tech growth, media modernization, emerging markets, digital media trends, Asian business growth, content strategy, global travel trends, data-driven insights, predictive analytics, travel forecasting, media industry trends, digital storytelling, Asia digital economy, audience analytics, tech adoption Asia, travel industry data, media platforms, smart data systems, content distribution, digital content strategy, data-powered decisions, media tech, travel consumer insights, Asian markets, content ecosystems, travel segmentation, digital transformation Asia, travel demand analysis, media performance, cross-border travel trends, Asia competitive edge, global content strategy, media engagement, travel patterns, data science travel, media analytics tools, Asia leadership, future-ready media, travel behavior insights, digital travel tools, content innovation, Asia storytelling, digital systems Asia, audience behavior, business intelligence Asia, travel data platforms, media production trends, travel marketing, digital research Asia, travel experiences data, media growth strategy, regional media growth, data monetization, tech-driven media, analytics-driven travel, Asia-focused content, travel insights 2025, global audience data, media architecture, travel trends analysis, Asia market insights, content performance analytics, smart travel solutions, digital travel platforms, Asia future trends, global...

Welcome to After Dinner Chats: Signals & Sparks, the series where we find the method in the madness and the signal in the deafening noise of data and tech.

This week, host James Welch brings in a guest from his own team: WPP's David Spencer. David's the colleague who gets the "weird and wonderful" tech problems, the ones ad agencies don't normally solve, and somehow finds a "springboard for success."

Get ready to hear about the incredible Easter eggs hidden in Lando Norris's new F1 website (and how to find them), why the future of AI isn't one big "bulldozer" but a team of specialist agents, and a truly... unfortunate... triathlon mishap. This is one of those conversations that is both fun and useful.

Welcome to "Signals & Sparks," the podcast that finds the method in the madness and the data behind the creative spark.

This week, James Welch sits down with Jamie Sergeant, founder of the global marketing agency Crowd. Jamie joins the pod to talk AI, global insights, and... giant penises? (Yes, you read that right.)

Jamie's signal is the great AI showdown: USA vs. China.

He argues the US is trying to build one "behemoth AI" to rule them all (and costing a fortune in compute power to run). Meanwhile, China is quietly building an army of "bespoke AI"—over 2,000 tiny, specialist AIs in WeChat alone—that "get one job done really, really well" using far less power.

Jamie places his bets on the bespoke approach, warning that the giant models will soon be too expensive to even switch on.

So, how does Jamie know all this? He's not just doom-scrolling. His "spark" comes from his agency, Crowd.

While some agencies are "global" on their website, Jamie is on "daily calls" with his teams in key territories like Chengdu and Shenzhen. He explains how having 25 nationalities on a staff of 55 and serving as a UK "export champion" gives him a direct line to what's actually happening on the ground, long before it becomes a trend piece.

We finish with the "High Five" quick-fire round, and frankly, it's an all-timer. Tune in to hear:

• His Hero: The "super cool" James Bond.
• His Best Decision: Starting his global agency, Crowd, back in 2012.
• His Worst Decision: The classic managerial regret: "a couple of people that I've hired over the 25 years..."
• His Funniest Moment: This one is worth the download alone. It’s a story about pitching an NHS sexual health campaign that involves the immortal line: "Close your eyes. Imagine you're in a big dark room and there's a ginormous penis in front of you." (He won the pitch, by the way).
• His "Bright Spark" recommendation: Matthew Horobin, our fabulous brand strategist friend who introduced us.

(Music from "Signals & Sparks" by The Consultants)