With more than 26 years of marketing expertise, Gav Thompson boasts an impressive career within the advertising world. From working on the infamous Guinness Surfer Ad to playing a significant role in co-founding the mobile operator, giffgaff, he has held key positions such as Global Chief Marketing Officer at Paddy Power, as well as Chief Customer Officer at Boden. Additionally, Gav served as the Head of Brand Strategy and later as the Head of Customer Innovation at O2 UK.

Utilising his extensive knowledge, Gav is currently in the process of establishing a mobile network - Paraspara, that eradicates any obstacles between users and the network infrastructure.

We discuss:

• Blagging your way into Cambridge
• Having the gift of the Gav
• Dealing with heartbreak
• Helping create one of the most famous ads ever, the Guiness Surfer Ad
• Coping with cancer
• Realising the importance of life
• Getting through a divorce
• The pressure of being responsible for a brand worth £4.5bn, O2
• Founding giffgaff

• Backing yourself and knowing your worth

• The excitement of launching a brand new mobile network based on WEB3 - Paraspara

⁠⁠Watch on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@HOWIBECAME__⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for guest insights not on the podcast

We're on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unity & Motion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - A London based production company specialising in commercials and branded content

Email: info@weunify.co.uk

This is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UNIFY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Podcast. Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Unity & Motion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Credits:

Director: Charles Parkinson

Poet & VO Artist: Ashley Samuels-McKenzie

Editor: Catherine Singh