NYF Advertising Awards and Paul Marobella launch 2026 season of ‘State of the Biz’ podcast
New York Festivals Advertising Awards and Global Head of WPP Studio X Paul Marobella have launched the 2026 season of the podcast series “State of the Biz” a sharp, unfiltered look at how creativity, culture, and commerce are colliding in real time.
Led and hosted by Marobella, a long-time industry CEO and CMO, the series cuts through industry noise to explore disruption, hard decisions, and what it takes to build modern brands from the front lines.
For 2026’s launch, Marobella leads a powerhouse roster of A-list creative and leadership minds offering sharp analysis and engaging discussions on the full scope of today’s advertising landscape.
Season 2026 of State of the Biz opens with Sean McBride, Chief Creative Officer of Arnold Worldwide. Catch the newest episode HERE.
New episodes featuring trailblazing leaders include:
- • Andrea Diquez, Global Chief Executive Officer, GUT / 2026 NYF Advertising Awards Executive Jury President
- • Pete Gosselin, Chief Creative Officer, CAPE
- • Colleen Shaw, EVP, Media; Senior Consultant, Omnicom
- • Tyler DeAngelo, Chief Creative Officer, StrawberryFrog
- Shannon Washington, Chief Creative Officer + Partner, 11 Ounces
- Cory Nacco, Founder & Head of Brand Strategy, 11 Ounces
- Joe Lazer, Author & Chief Marketing Officer, Pepper
- Sylvain Tron, Managing Director, CYLNDR Studios
- Lenore Moritz, Founder, Momentum
Says Marobella: “Having these insightful conversations with our industry’s finest about the State of The Biz is timelier now than ever before. We are at such an inflection point of brand-building and creativity, and learning from how the best brands and agencies are innovating is invaluable to our collective industry as we move into uncharted territory. Thank you to New York Festivals for providing the inspiration and platform to make it happen.”
Marobella is a Bentley-trained executive and globally recognized creative leader known for blending modern creativity, AI innovation, data fluency, and transformational leadership. With a career spanning both agency and brand sides, Paul brings a rare hybrid perspective shaped by years of building new enterprise marketing platforms and business models while leading high-performing teams.
Currently, Marobella serves as Global Head of WPP Studio X, part of Open X, created for The Coca-Cola Company. His leadership journey includes eight years as CEO of Havas North America and seven years with Accenture Song’s Wirestone.
Deeply inspired by the mindset of elite athletes and the wisdom of spiritual advisors, Marobella applies lessons in resilience, focus, and purpose to modern leadership, team building, and brand growth. He believes in the duality of leading an enterprise while helping shape the future of the industry, all while staying true to core values.
Says Scott Rose, President, New York Festivals: “We’re extremely proud to share this season’s dynamic conversations led by visionary leader Paul Marobella. Paul has brought together some of the industry’s most influential innovators to offer candid perspectives and thought-provoking insights into where our industry is headed. These new episodes serve as a blueprint for the future of brand building and are not to be missed.”
The official deadline to enter the 2026 New York Festivals Advertising Awards is April 23, 2026.
For more information on categories, rules, and regulations, visit HERE. View the 2025 Advertising Awards winners’ showcase.
Register for FREE HERE and receive the Campaign Brief Asia Daily Bulletin and/or the global Best Ads Best of the Week Bulletin.