Advisory Board interview with Peter Griffiths

Briefly tell us a little about yourself and what your role involves as Senior Marketing Manager at Caledonian MacBrayne. 

I've worked in marketing a variety of services and products since the late 90s.  For several years now I've been responsible for marketing, brand and content at Caledonian MacBrayne.  I love the challenges that come with being the custodian of such an important brand and being part of navigating it into the future. 

What’s your golden rule - at work and in life?

Reframe challenges with "we can if..." no matter how absurd that means the sentence has to be.  This comes from the book A Beautiful Constraint and is a great method of seeing things in a different way and getting people to invest in the change journey.    

What motivated you to join The Marketing Society Scotland Advisory Board?

Any experience I've had on boards has been positive but, until this year, that had been mostly in smaller-scale but critically important cultural organisations.  In 2023 my focus has been more related to my day-to-day work: joining the Marketing Society Scotland Board and taking up as chair of Discover Ferries.  

In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing your industry today?

People who confuse opinion with fact, and data with insight.

Which leader do you admire most and why?

Michael Scott, Dunder Mifflin - he constantly tries to inspire people and lead his team, he does what he thinks is right regardless of how difficult that seems, he's not afraid to speak truth to power, he admits when he gets things wrong, and he cares about the people side of things.  These are only some of the reasons that I fear how much I love him.  

Why is being part of the Marketing Society important for your career?

I really enjoy the work MS do, I think it's extremely important.  I get so much from the updates, discussions, events and awards.  From a career perspective, membership keeps me focused on pushing the boundaries of what marketing can do and often helps me find the correct partner to do that. 

What would be your one piece of advice to those just starting out in your industry?

Reflect on who you are, what it means to be you, what your values are, and then just do everything you can to do that authentically.  

Tell us something that isn't on your CV

I recently learned the entire syllabus for two Nat Five courses to help my son with his exams.  I now know a scary amount about the composition of paintings and historical events that impacted Europe during the period spanning 1899 to 1953.