From AXA to TikTok: How Media Leaders Are Bringing Sustainable Growth to Their Work

Season 3 of the Sustainable Growth podcast brought together leaders across media, advertising, tech, and sustainability to explore how climate-aligned innovation is reshaping business as usual in media.

From retail and insurance to platforms and publishers, our guests shared candid, tactical insights on what it takes to drive sustainable growth today — and why urgency, collaboration, and AI are all part of the story.

Featured guests this season included:

• Marine Gissy, Global Media Lead, AXA
• Martin Powell, Group Sustainability Director, AXA
• Lori Goode, CMO, Index Exchange
• Gina Whelehan, Group Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Butler/Till
• Ian Gill, Global Head of Sustainability, TikTok
• Christine Foster, SVP of Commercial Strategy and Operations, Kroger Precision Marketing
• Agata Frank, Global Category Manager Media, Beiersdorf
• Stephanie Scheller, Managing Partner Sustainable Solutions - EMEA, OMG
• Ken Blom, Chief Business Officer, BuzzFeed
• Ruben Schreurs, Group CEO, Ebiquity

Three themes stood out across these conversations:

1. Operationalizing sustainability across the business

   Whether it was AXA linking media to its climate strategy or Index Exchange rethinking supply path optimization, our guests made it clear that sustainability is moving beyond the CSR team. It’s becoming a lens for how decisions get made, from media buying to partner selection to creative production. As Christine Foster of KPM shared, performance and sustainability aren’t in conflict; they reinforce each other when supported by the right infrastructure and incentives.

2. AI as a force multiplier — with the right guardrails

   AI came up in nearly every conversation, both as a driver of efficiency and a source of risk. Gina Whelehan discussed how Butler/Till is using Scope3’s Brand Standards to reduce manual lift and improve media outcomes. Ruben Schreurs of Ebiquity emphasized the importance of embedding governance and measurement into any AI rollout. And TikTok’s Ian Gill pointed out that AI use shapes platform culture, content, and influence at scale.

3. Redefining what good looks like in media

   This season also tackled how brands and publishers are rewriting the rules around media quality, suitability, and monetization. BuzzFeed’s Ken Blom explained how technology and transparency are enabling smarter, more direct brand-publisher alignment. Beiersdorf and OMG showed how collaboration across the buy side can unlock measurable progress. Across the board, leaders are looking beyond vanity metrics to create visible, durable impact.

Sustainable growth is a mindset shift taking hold across the industry, and a core motivator at Scope3. The marketers, platforms, agencies, and publishers who joined us this season are proving that progress is possible when we prioritize outcomes, innovation, and sustainability in equal measure.

Catch up on every episode of Season 3 of Sustainable Growth now wherever you get your podcasts.