Few people have influenced the advertising industry as profoundly as David Bell.
Over the course of his distinguished career, David has helped shape the evolution of modern marketing – from building one of the world’s leading media agencies to advising and investing in the next generation of advertising technology companies. Today, as a member of Dstillery’s Board of Directors, he continues to bring a unique perspective on the trends, technologies, and ideas transforming our industry.
At the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, David sat down with some of advertising’s most respected executives for a series of candid conversations exploring the forces reshaping media, marketing, and technology. Rather than formal interviews, these are thoughtful discussions between industry peers, covering everything from AI and data innovation to entrepreneurship, creativity, client transformation, and the future of agency leadership.
The result is Conversations with David Bell: a collection of insightful interviews with the people helping define what’s next for advertising.
Each conversation offers a different perspective, but together they tell a compelling story. AI is accelerating change across every corner of the industry. Trust and transparency are becoming increasingly important. And while technology continues to evolve, success still comes down to people – their curiosity, creativity, and willingness to adapt.
Featured conversations: leaders shaping what’s next
The inaugural Conversations with David Bell series features interviews with:
- Greg Johns, EVP & Chief Product Officer, Canvas Worldwide
- Bill Koenigsberg, Founder & CEO, Horizon Media
- Bob Lord, President, Horizon Media
- Melissa Wiseheart, Chief Client Success Officer, Omnicom
- Delphine Hernoux, Global Chief Client Transformation Officer, Omnicom
- Sebastien Hernoux, Chief Data, Technology and Analytics Officer, North America, Omnicom
- Philip Inghelbrecht, CEO & Co-Founder, Tatari
- Jay Goebel, VP of Data Partnerships, The Trade Desk
- Abbey Klaassen, CEO, Tinuiti
Together, these interviews paint a compelling picture of an industry in transition. Spanning topics from agency leadership and mentorship to AI, data strategy, and measurement, the conversations reveal both diverse viewpoints and a shared vision for the future of marketing.
AI is changing everything, but people remain the differentiator
Across nearly every interview, executives agreed that AI is fundamentally reshaping advertising. Yet the consensus was equally clear: technology is most powerful when it amplifies human creativity, strategic thinking, and collaboration rather than replacing them.
Trust and transparency matter now more than ever
As AI becomes increasingly embedded across organizations and teams, leaders emphasize the importance of transparency, responsible data practices, and trusted partnerships. Success won’t come from technology alone; it will come from organizations that earn and maintain client confidence.
Innovation thrives through collaboration
Whether discussing agency partnerships, open technology ecosystems, or client relationships, guests repeatedly highlighted collaboration as a competitive advantage. The future belongs to organizations willing to learn, adapt, and innovate together.
Leadership requires curiosity
Many conversations turned to leadership itself and how to guide teams through rapid change, encourage experimentation, embrace failure as part of growth, and remain relentlessly curious in an industry that never stops evolving.
Conversations with David Bell are more than interviews
These aren’t traditional executive interviews. They’re candid conversations between industry peers, exploring the challenges and opportunities shaping advertising today and the decisions leaders are making to prepare for tomorrow.
Whether you’re interested in AI, media strategy, entrepreneurship, data-driven marketing, or agency leadership, you’ll find valuable insights throughout the series. We’re grateful to each executive who joined David during a busy week in Cannes to share their perspectives, experiences, and vision for the future.
Watch all the Conversations with David Bell on our videos page to hear directly from the leaders helping define the next era of advertising.