Marketers agree that the best way to market a product is to understand how the company works from all angles. If anyone has stayed true to that idea, it is Ed Pilkington. A member of the Diageo global marketing leadership team and the Western Europe executive team, he has held a variety roles at the company. His ambition has been to understand those differences and similarities to create affinity with customers, creating brands with purpose that accommodate the differences but transcend borders. His proudest moment is contributing to the growth of some of the best known brands around the world, so his biggest challenge has not been a lack of choice. “We are never short of ideas and opportunities, the biggest challenge is prioritising them,” he says.