History suggests that society has a remarkable ability to adapt
Can you share your best reading or listening experience so far this year?
– I enjoy reading, but I especially enjoy listening to content about the future, technology, and trends, as well as history. As my grandmother used to say, ”there is nothing new under the sun.” Understanding the past does not give us all the answers, but it helps us make better sense on how the future may be.
Take the current debate around AI and robotics. Many people worry that technology will take over our jobs and leave too little work for everyone. It is a reasonable concern, but history suggests that society has a remarkable ability to adapt.
During the Industrial Revolution, machines transformed production, many professions disappeared, and factory work became the norm. Adults often worked 12 to 16 hours a day, six days a week, and even young children worked long hours. But workers organized, demanded better conditions, and eventually won the eight-hour workday.
Society adapted. People spent more time with their families, educated themselves, slept more, and enjoyed new forms of leisure and culture.
Perhaps AI and robotics will lead to a similar transformation. Instead of fearing a future with less work, maybe we should also consider the possibility that technology could give us back some of our time. Spending half of our waking lives working has never seemed like the ultimate goal of human progress.
The same applies to the discussion that there is too much work to do while teams keep getting smaller. Recently, while watching Downton Abbey, I noticed an interesting parallel. The staff often felt overwhelmed because they didn’t have enough time to polish all the silverware. The real issue wasn’t a lack of people, it was that nobody had questioned whether displaying and maintaining so much silverware was still necessary. It had become an outdated task, but tradition kept it alive.
The real value comes from looking at things through multiple lenses, understanding history, following emerging trends, and, above all, understanding people. When you combine those perspectives, you gain a much richer view of the world and are often better equipped to make sense of what might come next.
I think many organizations face similar challenges today. When resources become more limited, we tend to focus on how to do the same work with fewer people, rather than asking which tasks no longer create enough value to justify the effort. If budgets are reduced, perhaps the first question should not be ”How do we work harder?” but ”What can we stop doing?”
History is full of examples like this. For me, finding similarities between the past and the future is reassuring. It reminds me that while technology changes, human are fantastic adapters.
This year, I’ve been listening to P3 Historia, podcasts featuring Bill Gates and Neil deGrasse Tyson, as well as a Brazilian psychiatrist Ana Beatriz Barbosa.
I would say that what you read or listen to is less important than your ability to connect the dots. The real value comes from looking at things through multiple lenses, understanding history, following emerging trends, and, above all, understanding people. When you combine those perspectives, you gain a much richer view of the world and are often better equipped to make sense of what might come next.
How do you switch off?
It depends on the situation. If I’ve had an intense day at work and its winter, I love sitting on the sofa with my husband, listening to podcasts while colouring in an adult colouring book. I find it easier to concentrate when my hands are occupied.
During the summer, I enjoy going for long walks, usually with a podcast in my ears. It’s the perfect combination of movement, fresh air, and learning something new.
If I’m feeling particularly stressed, though, nothing works better than classical music. It has a way of slowing everything down and helping me find calm again.
One of the things I enjoy most is being around curious people
How do you switch on?
This may sound a bit cliché, but I genuinely love what I do. Even when I’m on holiday, I find myself looking at ads, exploring business trends, and paying attention to how companies communicate, especially when I’m in a different country. I always come back inspired by the different ways markets approach marketing and business.
One of the things I enjoy most is being around curious people. Hearing what others are working on, the challenges they are facing, and the ideas they are developing quickly sparks my own creativity. Finding solutions to problems and connecting unrelated ideas is something I genuinely find fun, which probably explains why it’s easy for me to stay engaged with my work, even outside office hours.
And I must confess that TikTok and Instagram are a great source of inspiration!
For the rest of 2026, what’s happening on your end?
There is a lot happening at work right now. With the acquisition of IPG, we have many new colleagues and clients to collaborate with. This week, the new team moved into our Omnicom Media office in Slussen, making us an even larger organization. That also means aligning processes, finding new ways of working together, and learning from one another. It’s a challenging but very exciting project, and a unique opportunity to build something stronger together.
We also have several exciting events coming up after the summer. In August and September, we’ll host Omnicom Media Days, a full week where leading media partners such as Amazon Ads, Spotify, Schibsted, and Bonnier join us to share insights, trends, and inspiration. We also have a dedicated Retail Media edition, bringing together partners like Lyko, ICA, and Stadium to discuss the latest developments in the rapidly evolving retail media landscape.
It is a fantastic time of year. These events always start new conversations, different perspectives, and opportunities to strengthen our partnerships and ways of working.
On a personal level, another big change is coming after the summer. All three of my children will have moved out, which means we will be entering a completely new phase of life with an empty house for the first time in 22 years. It will undoubtedly take some getting used to, but I see it as an opportunity as well. I’m sure I’ll need to find a few new projects to keep myself and my husband busy.
Transparency builds trust, and trust is ultimately what strong brands are built on
With the new EU regulations for tagging AI content, what are your thoughts on trust and authenticity and what this might mean for brands and businesses?
As I mentioned earlier in this interview, I often start by looking at the past when trying to understand the future. That’s also how I view the new EU regulations around AI generated content.
At the moment, I don’t see any major disadvantages to these rules, although I probably don’t know enough yet to have a fully formed opinion. What history does tell us, however, is that misinformation, propaganda, and manipulated content can have a profound impact on society. We don’t have to look very far back to find examples. The Cambridge Analytica scandal showed how data and digital tools could influence public opinion and potentially affect the outcome of elections. Had stronger regulations existed at the time, history might have unfolded differently.
For that reason, I generally believe that regulations designed to protect individuals and society are a step in the right direction. Transparency builds trust, and trust is ultimately what strong brands are built on.
For responsible brands, AI labels should not be a problem. Companies that value long term relationships with their customers are not trying to mislead anyone. In fact, being open about how content is created can strengthen credibility rather than weaken it.
We’ve seen similar changes before. More than twenty years ago, regulations required brands to give consumers an easy way to unsubscribe from marketing emails. At the time, some worried it would reduce their reach. Instead, it helped create healthier relationships between brands and consumers. The same may happen with AI transparency. Responsible brands have nothing to fear from being open and honest about how their content is created.
I see AI transparency in much the same way. In the long run, authenticity and honesty tend to benefit both consumers and brands. Those who are already acting responsibly will simply have another way to demonstrate that trustworthiness.
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