Henry Stewart Creative Operations Summit NY Recap
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Background:

For anyone unfamiliar with Henry Stewart conferences, they’ve been bringing together global leaders, creators, and innovators to discuss what’s next in our ever-evolving industry, from all over the world into one space at multiple points throughout the year. Their topics generally focus on the following three pillars of: People, Process, and Technology. I’ve had the pleasure of contributing on a Webinar panel in the past, <- linked if you'd like to check it out.

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Reflections:

This recent Creative Ops Summit event, held on June 17th, 2025 at Convene Conference Centre in New York City, has easily been my favourite conference this year. Where normally I'd find my intros explaining what Creative Operations is, instead, we were able to get know each other beyond more than the definition of the role, we at a minimum understood the role we play in the worlds we operate in.

This wasn't a crowd you could gloss over with surface talk. The authenticity shared and that was needed in these conversations brought clarity, validation, and a shared sense of momentum. We moved beyond job titles and connected through shared challenges, ideas, and solutions. Every person I spoke to left feeling both encouraged and energized, with fresh insights and- a broader network to tap into.
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If there's a conference I can recommend for you to attend, especially as a subscriber of this newsletter, it would be this one. (Check below for a discount code to the LA edition this November.)
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​Disclaimer: I receive no payment or incentive for sharing this—my recommendation is genuine and the discount code is a gift to you!

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Key Themes I took away from the talks I attended:

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1. The Human Edge Still Wins in the Age of AI

AI continues to be the hottest topic. Common concerns in the industry are: "Should I fear that I will lose my role or have to cut my team down due to technological advancements?" The consensus: Although AI is evolving fast— the competitive advantage is and needs to still be human. While many are rushing to adopt the latest tools, the strongest teams are focused on building clarity, not just capability.

Dax Alexander (Oliver Agency) reminded us that while content demands are exploding, budgets aren’t growing. The solution? Pair AI with human intuition—not replacement, but augmentation. Christine Royston from Wrike echoed this by emphasizing that AI agents are only powerful when paired with emotional intelligence, creative judgment, and team buy-in.

Theme Takeaways:

• Use AI to support, not override: Leverage tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, or internal generators to reduce repetitive tasks and spark ideation.
• Build systems around people: Tech should rise to support the culture—not disrupt it.
• Co-create adoption: Let your team shape how new tools integrate into their workflows. Buy-in is built through collaboration.

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2. Leadership in Creative Ops = Culture, Not Just Tools

It’s not about more platforms—it’s about deeper trust, clarity, and adaptability. The best Creative Ops systems don’t feel like operations—they feel like freedom.

Kifka Kingan (L’Oréal USA) noted the importance of understanding her team’s needs before implementing new platforms. “I love a good spreadsheet, but creatives don’t,” — tools must meet people where they are.

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Meanwhile, Wayfair’s Brianne Gallagher shared how they cut project timelines by 400% by pulling a senior PM out of project work and into tech integration. That role—dedicated to optimization—became a catalyst for their success.

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Theme Takeaways:

• Create a “creative lab” space: Ring-fence 10% of your budget for experimentation and training.
• Think like a casting agent: Know your team’s strengths, build a flexible roster, and invest in your superstars.
• Explain the why: When change happens, clarity about the why sets creatives up to do their best work.

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3. Creativity Needs to Show Impact—Not Just Output

It’s not enough to just make things anymore—we need to show how creativity moves the needle. With shrinking timelines (from 8 weeks to 8 days!) and tighter budgets, creative ops teams must prove their strategic value.

Today’s creative leaders are being asked to do more with less—and do it faster. But that speed can’t come at the cost of quality or meaning.

Takeaways:

• Shift from quantity to quality metrics: Track business-linked KPIs like engagement, conversions, or time-to-market, not just volume.
• Automate to ideate: Use automation for file naming, resizing, and project tracking, and reinvest that time into creative thinking.
• Start small, show success: Pilot new tools or workflows on a single project, prove the value, then scale. Success becomes contagious.

Final Thoughts: Start with People. End with People.

From Spotify to Disney, major brands are rethinking how they approach Creative Ops—and the answer keeps coming back to this: your people are the engine. AI is a powerful accelerant, but it’s creativity, culture, and clarity that truly drive performance.

If you’re a creative leader or ops strategist, now’s the time to:

• Protect your team’s capacity to think deeply
• Build systems that serve humans first
• Champion experimentation as a strategy

As Dax Alexander put it: “Test, learn, repeat.”.

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