Talent Champion – Trae Watlington

Talent Champion Spotlight

2025 Talent Champion - Trae Watlington

Trae Watlington
SVP of Integrated Strategy
BBDO

What makes you passionate about the future of the marketing industry?

Continuing to show how creativity can be used to solve seemingly unsolvable problems.

What is the most impactful career advice you've ever received?

“Your job isn’t to just get it done – it’s to make sure it’s worth doing.”

What is the most valuable skill students should have before they begin their career?

Know how to tell a good story. Simply knowing the answer to a problem will only get you so far in your career. But, knowing how to explain the way you arrived at the solution and convincing others to champion your answer is where the magic happens.

What advice would you give to students who hope to make a meaningful impact as they enter the industry?

Stay curious. Learning doesn’t stop when you leave the classroom. Become a student of culture and humanity and then find a way to represent what you learn in your work.

2025 Talent Champions

"Our future marketing and advertising leaders are not just looking for a job, they are looking for a meaningful career that will make a positive impact on society."
— Gord McLean, President and CEO at ANA Educational Foundation