APB Speaker Maryam Banikarim Explains Being a Purpose Champion vs. a Top Boss in "Fast Company"
16 Jan 2019
With experience as Chief Marketing Officer for Hyatt, Gannett and several other major corporations, APB speaker Maryam Banikarim shares with Fast Company what the role of a “purpose champion” means and why it is integral to the success of a company.
A purpose champion is directly connected to the CEO, who encourages, advocates and mobilizes the purpose behind a company’s vision. According to Banikarim, people in this role must have an instinct for action, an ownership of purpose, and be a good listener and top-notch leader. “A great champion of purpose is a cheerleader, captain, coach. Sometimes you cheer others on from the sidelines. Sometimes you authoritatively call the shots. Sometimes you are on the field leading the play—rolling up your sleeves and doing,” Banikarim says.
Banikarim shares her own experiences of how members of every team play different roles to generate and uphold purpose. It is critical for companies to face a challenge with purpose in order to continuously grow, change and ultimately find success. Renowned as a purpose-driven change agent, Banikarim has been recognized as one of The New York Post’s “50 Most Powerful Women in NYC” and as one of Advertising Age’s “Women to Watch.” Her speech topics cover everything from building brand loyalty to discovering innovation through fostering strong relationships.