S1. E2. : Charmaine Wyland – User Focused Design Leader, (Ex-Gumtree, Just Eat, Expedia, SapientRazorfish)

From e-learning in Dublin to redesigning legacy media platforms and leading massive digital transformations for big brands in both the USA and UK, Charmaine Wyland’s creative leadership journey is anything but linear - and all the better for it.

In this episode, Charmaine reflects on her serpentine career path, shares what it really takes to grow high-performing teams, and offers a masterclass in navigating change with empathy and clarity. We talk design maturity, rebrands, AI’s impact, and how she used storefronts to train her design team’s eye for homepage design. Charmaine also opens up about her proudest work at Racing Post, how she stress-bakes her way through deadlines, and why she’s always been more interested in how people think than what they make.

This is Awaiting Approval. A podcast about the messy, human side of creative leadership.

Hosted by Adam Jennings - a creative director with three decades of experience leading teams for Disney, Apple, Microsoft, Paramount, LinkedIn and more - this show features honest, unscripted conversations with the leaders shaping design, storytelling, and innovation today.

These are the conversations you don’t hear in keynotes. The ones about imposter syndrome, trust, failure, confidence, and finding your voice as a leader.

Whether you’re just stepping into creative leadership or you’ve been at it for years, Awaiting Approval is your place to feel seen, challenged, and encouraged.

Awaiting Approval is a Cordial Fox production.Hosted by Adam JenningsProduced by Adam Jennings & Jasmin Egner© Cordial Fox Limited, 2025.