What You Learn From 18 Years at 1 Agency

For much of Eva Santos' career, women made up a mere 1% (or less) of creative leadership in Spain. But over the past two decades, she's persevered through countless obstacles to become one of the top creative executives not only in her home country, but also around the world.

In an exclusive interview with Adweek, Santos today tells me about how the industry has changed over the 18 years she's been with the Omnicom-owned Proximity network—and why she recently decided to leave the agency after such a storied run.

She also talks about the value of staying at one agency as long as you can. A run as long as Santos' at Proximity is extremely rare, but it also highlights how you can build influence and shape a company's vision by staying with it over the long term.

I've long considered Santos one of the most vibrant and important voices in the creative marketing world, and I'm fascinated to see where she goes next. (For now, she remains open but undecided.)

In our conversation, she even hints not too subtly that she's considering opening her own agency. Given her bold focus on inclusivity and strong reputation across both Europe and Latin America, I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up going that route and thriving.

What's the longest you've worked for one employer? What was valuable about that length of time? Do you regret not moving on sooner—or wish you'd stayed somewhere longer?

Let me know at the email below or at @Griner on Twitter.

David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
david.griner@adweek.com

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