Michael Disalvo discusses how winning the Young Lions competition changed his career in 5 ways: 1) It led to promotions and new opportunities within his company. 2) It helped him sharpen skills like brevity and creativity. 3) It gave him confidence and a sense of belonging in the industry. 4) It renewed his passion for marketing and public relations. 5) It taught him how much more he still has to learn despite his success.

1. 5
WAYS
Winning Young Lions
CHANGED MY CAREER
B Y M I C H A E L D I S A LV O
V I C E P R E S I D E N T, H E A LT H C A R E AT
O G I LV Y P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
@ M D I S A LV O

2. 5 W AY S W I N N I N G Y O U N G L I O N S C H A N G E D M Y C A R E E R
B Y M I C H A E L D I S A LV O
V I C E P R E S I D E N T, H E A LT H C A R E AT O G I LV Y P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
@ M D I S A LV O
1 Awards
bring rewards
WORKING FOR AN AGENCY that holds the Cannes Festival of
Creativity in high esteem pays off (literally). Within two months
of returning from Cannes, both I and my partner took on new
positions within Ogilvy and its parent company, WPP respectively,
with greater responsibilities and shiny new titles for our LinkedIn
profiles. Along with the upward mobility and résumé-building
accolade, new opportunities arose, like participating in the
unprecedented Common Ground initiative in support of the United
Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals or helping to shape the
future of Ogilvy in its ‘Next Chapter’ initiatives. We were fortunate
that Ogilvy made sure to celebrate our success, plastering the
office with streamers, offering champagne toasts from senior
leaders, and printing our photos on cakes. Lesson learned: if you
want someone to remember your face, paint it in frosting.

3. 5 W AY S W I N N I N G Y O U N G L I O N S C H A N G E D M Y C A R E E R
B Y M I C H A E L D I S A LV O
V I C E P R E S I D E N T, H E A LT H C A R E AT O G I LV Y P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
@ M D I S A LV O
2
Sharpened
my skill set
THE YOUNG LIONS COMPETITION forces you to break out of
your routine and flex muscles you might not use every day. The
intensive two-day experience helped me fine tune skills that had
fallen into disrepair (and also strengthened my appreciation for
Rosé). The final Young Lions presentation is a master class in
brevity, creativity and salesmanship. If you can sell 10 slides in five
minutes, an hour-long client presentation becomes no problem.

4. 5 W AY S W I N N I N G Y O U N G L I O N S C H A N G E D M Y C A R E E R
B Y M I C H A E L D I S A LV O
V I C E P R E S I D E N T, H E A LT H C A R E AT O G I LV Y P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
@ M D I S A LV O
3
Made me an
‘industry adult’
HAVING TAKEN AN OGILVY INTERNSHIP OUT OF COLLEGE,
it is quite literally the only job and home I’ve ever known. After
seven years, I still find myself feeling like the bright-eyed newbie
who could not figure out the printers. The experience at Cannes
filled me with confidence in my talents, and reassured me that I
was following the right path. It helped me approach my day job
with a surprising maturity and a sense I belonged in the industry,
allowing me to shed the unnecessary pressure that comes with
proving yourself.

5. 5 W AY S W I N N I N G Y O U N G L I O N S C H A N G E D M Y C A R E E R
B Y M I C H A E L D I S A LV O
V I C E P R E S I D E N T, H E A LT H C A R E AT O G I LV Y P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
@ M D I S A LV O
4
Renewed
my passion
THE EXPERIENCE AT CANNES reinvigorated my spirit and faith
in the Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing industries.
The Global competition was intense. However, when you are
literally surrounded by the most creative work in our industry,
you can’t help but be inspired. Competing alongside teams from
20+ countries helped us recognize the diverse and innovative
work being done around the world and reassured us the industry
was moving in the right direction. In short, Cannes reminded me
to be excited about the work we do.

6. 5 W AY S W I N N I N G Y O U N G L I O N S C H A N G E D M Y C A R E E R
B Y M I C H A E L D I S A LV O
V I C E P R E S I D E N T, H E A LT H C A R E AT O G I LV Y P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S
@ M D I S A LV O
5 Taught me a
surprising lesson
IN SOME SUBCONSCIOUS WAY, I entered the Young Lions
competition to validate my career or inflate my ego or some
combination of the two. After winning, I was surprised the
experience had the opposite effect: it showed me how much I have
left to learn! This competition exposes you to cultures, campaigns
and ideas from different countries, agencies and marketing
disciplines all united around the central ideology of “Creativity with
a Purpose” to prove how powerful our industry can be.
Sure, the win stroked my ego. But above all else, it reminded me
how fortunate I was to receive these opportunities: to travel to
France; to sit in the audience listening to speakers like Will Smith,
Usher and Iggy Pop; and to work for Ogilvy, the “teaching hospital
of the advertising world” – a company that took a chance on an
unemployed, inexperienced kid from the Bronx, taught him he
could make something of himself, and sent him halfway around the
world to prove it.