Member interview with Clive Primrose

We are delighted to bring you a Member interview with Clive Primrose, Marketing Director, Public Arts Programming, The Arts Center, New York University Abu Dhabi.

What's your golden rule?

Listen carefully, stay curious, and never confuse activity with impact. The best marketing starts with understanding people and ends with a measurable difference to the organisation.

Who has been your biggest influence and why?

The teams and people I have worked with across different cultures, sectors and markets. They have taught me that strong leadership is less about having every answer and more about creating clarity, building trust and enabling talented people to do their best work.

What is your most hated business expression?

"Because that's how we've always done it." It closes the door on curiosity, innovation and progress - the very things marketing should champion.

What's the smartest business idea you've ever had?

Building new digital capabilities before clients fully recognised they needed them. I founded a digital agency and later built Avantgarde's Digital Services division from the ground up, creating new services, revenue streams and a team of specialists. It reinforced my belief that the best opportunities often emerge where customer needs, technology and commercial value intersect.

Which leader do you admire most and why?

Satya Nadella. He transformed Microsoft by combining strategic clarity with empathy, curiosity and cultural change. His leadership demonstrates that sustainable growth does not come from technology alone; it comes from changing how an organisation thinks, collaborates and learns.

What is on your mind the most right now as a marketing leader?

How we use AI to amplify human creativity and improve customer experience without sacrificing trust, originality or strategic judgement. The opportunity is enormous, but marketing leaders must ensure that adoption is purposeful, ethical and connected to genuine business and audience needs.

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

It connects me with a diverse community of leaders who challenge established thinking and openly share their experiences. After working across sectors and markets for more than two decades, I value the opportunity to keep learning, contribute my own perspective and help strengthen marketing's influence at the highest levels of business.

Why does marketing matter to you?

Marketing matters because it connects ideas with people and ambition with action. At its best, it creates growth while also shaping experiences, communities and culture. I have seen that impact across tourism, technology, higher education and the arts—from building new capabilities to growing audiences and making cultural experiences more accessible.

Tell us something that's not on your CV

Outside work, I am happiest around art, music, dogs or out on the water. Boating gives me space to reset and reinforces something I value in leadership: set a clear direction, stay alert to changing conditions and know when to adjust course.