Portfolio

This page shows the kinds of work I do when the brief is to make sense of complexity, sharpen thinking, and help senior people communicate clearly — in print, in research, and in public.

It is organised by type of contribution, not chronology.

Editorial Leadership

Building platforms, not just filing copy.

Founding editor — The Media Leader

  • Relaunched and led a B2B journalism brand covering advertising, media, and technology

  • Set editorial strategy, tone, commissioning priorities, and standards

  • Built the publication from a one-person operation into a multi-platform newsroom with international reach

This role required judgement: deciding what mattered, what didn’t, and how to frame stories for senior industry audiences.

A man and a woman sitting on chairs during an interview or discussion, with a camera operator recording them, and a blue backdrop with partially visible text.
A man in a black blazer and a patterned white shirt standing in front of a blue backdrop with text, including "Powered by The Media Leader," and logos for Mail Metro Media and PubMatic.

Research & Industry Reports

Turning complexity into material decision-makers can actually use.

Guest editor, Global Ad Trends reports — WARC Media

  • Authored WARC Media's Global Ad Trends reports — the flagship strategic intelligence series read by senior marketers and media buyers worldwide.

  • Reports covered TV and CTV economics, platform power and market concentration, media effectiveness, and the structural forces reshaping global ad spend.

  • The emphasis is synthesis, not volume: connecting signals and explaining second-order consequences.

Available for commissioned research and analysis. Get in touch →

A person standing in a modern, colorful room with abstract wall art, patterned textiles, and a large, illuminated television display on a table.
A person standing near a modern TV screen in a room with orange and red walls. The person is dressed in an orange patterned jacket and black pants, looking at the TV, which has a neon outline.

Panels Chaired & Live Conversations

Moderator & panellist

Live editorial, not “fireside chats”.

Advertising Week Europe, The Future of Media, Leaders in Sport, Connected TV World Summit, The Future of Brands, The Future of TV Advertising Global, All-In Summit (Advertising Association), eCommerceExpo, ASI International Television & Video Conference.

  • Chaired panels and debates with senior leaders from media owners, platforms, agencies, and brands

  • Responsible for framing the brief, shaping the discussion, and landing clear takeaways

  • Led leadership discussions on growth, disruption, and the future of B2B media

My role is to make conversations sharper, not louder.

Many more examples on my Speaking & Hosting page.

Three people engaging in a panel discussion or interview on stage, seated in orange chairs in front of a brick wall, with a small audience watching.
Man in a white blazer giving a presentation to an audience with a black backdrop and pink text that reads 'Set yourself Free'.

Podcasts

Creator & Host — The Media Leader Podcast

  • Created and hosted an interview-led podcast exploring power, strategy, and change across media and advertising

  • Used long-form conversations to extend editorial reporting and test ideas in public

Producer & Host — Campaign Podcast

  • Produced and hosted the podcast, evolving it into a regular weekly series

  • Introduced industry interviews, repeatable editorial formats, and agenda-setting discussion topics

  • Worked closely with the editorial team to reflect and shape the week’s news priorities

Current Host — Advertising Amplified (Radiocentre)

  • Host of RadioCentre’s flagship podcast on advertising effectiveness, audio, and commercial radio

  • Interviews marketers, agency leaders, and media owners on strategy and outcomes

Regular Guest — The Media Club

  • Frequent contributor to industry discussion and analysis

  • Appears alongside the show’s host, Matt Deegan, to unpack media news and structural shifts

Across formats, the focus is the same:

not personality-led chat, but conversations that reveal how decisions are made.

Recording studio for Bloomberg Media's podcast titled "The Media Leader." Three hosts or guests are present, with one speaking into a microphone. The podcast's episode is "The Future of Marketing," focusing on multi-platform campaigns, and features an image inset of two individuals.
A radio podcast interview with three people, two men and one woman, speaking into microphones. They are sitting in front of a large speaker backdrop, with text about audio advertising and emotion.
Three people sitting on couches in a studio set of 'The Media Club,' engaged in a discussion. Two men and one woman, with the man on the left holding a microphone and some papers, the woman in the middle taking notes, and the man on the right with a microphone. A TV screen displaying the show's logo is in the background, with plants and shelves decor on the set.

As cited/discussed by

Where the work appears.

My reporting, commentary, and analysis has been cited, republished, and discussed by editors and journalists across the industry — including Newsweek, Campaign, PRWeek, Little Black Book, and New Digital Age.

BBC analysis editor Ros Atkins referenced my work in his session at the Edinburgh TV Festival — one of the industry's most-watched annual events for journalism and media thinking.

View full writing archive…

Screenshot of a Newsweek webpage featuring a quote about media and marketing expert Omar Oakes discussing business case studies on Tesla and brand equity.
A man standing at a podium on a stage giving a presentation. A large screen behind him displays a quote: 'All media is being threatened by the ubiquity of short-form.' The quote is attributed to Omar Oakes, Editor of The Media Leader, August 2023. The stage has white chairs and a colorful background.
Screen displaying an article titled 'Interviewing the Interviewers: Omar Oakes, Editor In Chief, The Media Leader' by Justin Pearse. The article includes links and a question about the marketing industry in 2024.