Andrea Bagan: The boss who finds inspiration from the words of Charlotte Brontë

I drive to work which can often mean sitting in relentless traffic on Kirkstall Road, so I get up and go to an early gym class at 6.30am which means avoiding just sitting in the queues.
Andrea BaganAndrea Bagan
Andrea Bagan

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Yorkshire is hotspot for first time buyersIt sets me up for the day, both mentally and physically. I get to the office for 8am which gives me time to get organised and rewrite the to-do list (and obviously grab a coffee).

Our open plan office has industrial influences, with lots of natural light and a great view over Greek Street which has an amazing vibe on a sunny day.

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The meeting rooms are named after heroes and heroines of Yorkshire including Dame Judi Dench, David Hockney, Helen Sharman and Charlotte Brontë. Each room includes a quote, my favourite being from Brontë: “Neither birth, nor sex forms a limit to genius.”

Everyone is happy to go the extra mile to deliver outstanding results for our clients and their teams. But we’re also a sociable and friendly bunch so we always have a lot going on – from weekly yoga classes and 5-a-side football, to themed bake offs (my passion), quizzes and of course nights out.

Our team make the most of the Yorkshire countryside to do the Three Peaks challenge for our charity partner, who this year is Re-Think Mental Illness.

In our Leeds office we have just over 80 people and counting. With offices in Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh we form Dentsu Aegis Network North, working closely together to deliver the best work for our clients

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Carat is the largest media agency within Dentsu Aegis Network, a global network of brand, media and digital communications specialists bringing together 47,000 people, over 5,000 based in the UK.

We help our clients plan, buy and evaluate their advertising and media campaigns across all channels including TV and video, radio, publishing, out of home and digital.

What is great for me is that we offer all of our clients such as Northumbria University, Coventry Building Society, Pure Gym and Morphy Richards the benefits of working with a regional agency, but with the tremendous backing of successful global business.

We have a diverse client base both locally, regionally and nationally, and importantly act as a gateway to the wider skills and specialisms across our network.

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A lot of our clients like to have one central Carat team responsible for managing their broader media and advertising requirements.

As a business we have evolved at pace to ensure we are best positioned to lead in the digital economy; for example by bringing in new capability experts in content, production and technology through the acquisition of three leading agencies in their fields: Whitespace, bjl and re:production.

We have also recently launched Dentsu Data Labs, a centre of excellence within our business of all things data and technology. Taking data and turning it into insight about what makes people tick means we understand consumer behaviour better than anyone else.

We are then able to use this insight and understanding to create unique and differentiated media solutions to help our clients win, keep and grow their most valuable customers.

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Digital disruption is reshaping markets and economies faster than ever. We believe in the incredible power that media has to build iconic brands and drive measurable business performance but in such a fast-changing environment, it is important not to sit still.

We recently held our third Make Disruption Pay event which focussed on Striking the Balance between marketing spend that delivers instant results, versus investment that builds brand loyalty over the long term.

As managing director of Carat, I am proud to lead the client leadership function of the business in Leeds, ensuring that they have the best strategies, campaign delivery and service possible. It’s really important to enjoy what you do so delivering great work for our clients and seeing the team reap the rewards and develop themselves is satisfying.

I also sit on Dentsu Aegis Network Leeds Exec Board, helping to drive a broader growth agenda across Carat and our digital performance agency, iProspect.

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New business is the lifeblood of any agency and I thrive on being involved in a good pitch, showcasing potential new clients all our fantastic people and work.

Andrea Bagan is the managing director of Carat Leeds.