Maxus boss Pattison on ‘deafening silence’ of WPP rivals, chatbot stereotypes and being challenger brand of group

Let’s start with you. How would you describe your own management style and how is it different from your peers?

“You grow into your leadership style. As people move up in seniority, they often make the mistake of thinking that the job title gives them power. But really you’re not ever in full control and the lesson you learn is it’s all about influence. I will lead from the front with strategy and vision, and ensure that I am personally invested in the business.

“I will always be on the horse leading the charge but one person can never save a company or drive everything. What you need is to inspire and influence everyone around you. Your team must be able to give you input and you must be transparent, and communicate well with them. There should be as little hierarchy as possible.

“A leader always has to have charisma, but the old way of command and control was to withhold information because it is power – and focus on the financial or rational side of the business. Of course you need to have financial acumen, but the average age of a Maxus employee around the world is 28. They expect to be able to talk to the CEO about their views and to understand why they are being asked to do things. Therefore, my personal management style is much more open and inclusive than some. You need to be empathetic. These days you need EQ as well as IQ to run a business.