Omnicom agencies Rapp and Ogilvy have joined forces with The Marketing Skills Trust to launch a new mentoring programme in memory of former chief Mike Dodds and his wife Clare Dodds, who both passed away just after their 60th birthdays.
“The Dodds Legacy” is inspired by the couple who spent their lives helping others believe in themselves, and has been launched to ensure that what they stood for did not end with them, with the backers of the scheme keen to stress that the programme is a “continuation” and not a memorial.
Mike Dodds spent his career at the highest levels of global marketing, including leadership roles within Ogilvy and Proximity (now Rapp).
He spent his entire working life agency-side, eventually joining Ogilvy in the early 1990s and rising up the ranks to become chief executive of Ogilvy One. By 2008, he had switched to Proximity London as CEO before being promoted to MD of Europe, global president and then global CEO.
However, in January 2021, he left the agency industry to set up his own consultancy, InsideOut For Growth, offering growth consulting, advisory and mentoring services to businesses large and small, including Tug, Kinetic Foundation and The Salocin Group, which includes Edit Agency and media business Join The Dots.
Respected for his calm authority and strategic clarity, Mike was just as well known for something rarer: his generosity with time, attention, and encouragement.
Meanwhile, Clare Dodds began her career as a teacher in inner-city London, and later worked supporting survivors of domestic abuse – offering reassurance, strength, and practical guidance at moments when confidence mattered most.
It is said that where Mike helped people think clearly, Clare helped them feel capable again. Together, they had a gift for seeing potential – often before others did.
The inaugural Dodds Legacy Programme will run on January 28 in the London offices of Ogilvy and offers 30 places, with applicants needing to apply online.
Led by Luisa Baldini and Louisa Preston, founders of Composure Media, the one-day event is designed to accelerate confidence, clarity and career momentum – whether attendees are breaking into marketing or stepping up within it. There will also be a chance to meet people from the industry and pick up a mentor.
The day will conclude with an inspirational talk from Ogilvy vice-chairman and industry sage Rory Sutherland, who will bring his own perspective on confidence, creativity and unconventional career paths – and why different thinking creates disproportionate opportunity.
Applications close on January 16.
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