Susan Creedle: From Secretary to Global CCO — A Masterclass in Creative Courage

Susan Creedle didn't walk into advertising through the front door. She walked in through the side door — as a receptionist bathroom-break fill-in at BBDO — and turned the entire building into her university. What followed was one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the industry: 24 years at BBDO, a transformative run as CCO of Leo Burnett North America, and a global stage at FCB where she redefined what a creative network could stand for.

This course is not just a biography. It is a creative operating system — a structured unpacking of the beliefs, instincts, and hard-won lessons that powered Susan's rise and the iconic work she produced along the way.

• How Susan's unconventional path — from drama student to law firm clerk to receptionist — shaped her creative instincts
• The philosophy that creativity is an economic multiplier, and how to apply it to any brand or brief
• How she helped birth campaigns like Allstate Mayhem, the M&M's characters, and Cingular Wireless — and what made those ideas transcend advertising
• Why she believes advertising, on its best day, pushes culture forward — and how to build work with that ambition
• Her perspective on women in the creative industry, the pioneers who inspired her, and the responsibility that comes with creative leadership
• Practical frameworks for finding the big idea hiding inside any brief

This course is built for anyone who wants to do work that matters — whether you're a student just entering the industry, a mid-career creative looking to level up, or a marketing leader who wants to reconnect with the power of genuine creative ambition. Susan's story is proof that where you start has nothing to do with where you can go.

Pro Tip: Don't just watch and read. Every lesson in this course includes exercises and reflection prompts designed to connect Susan's wisdom directly to your own work and career. The more honestly you engage, the more you'll get out of it.

Susan Creedle has spent her career making work that people find genuinely interesting — not just effective. She learned from Phil Dusenberry that advertising could sit proudly beside the finest entertainment. She proved it, repeatedly, across some of the world's most iconic brands. This course is your invitation to hold yourself to that same standard.