#BehindtheIMC | VML’s Jarred Cinman: Caring is the industry’s real superpower

Nedbank IMC speaker, VML CEO Jarred Cinman on AI, leadership, and why caring - not just capability - will define the future of marketing. (Image supplied)

With more than three decades at the intersection of creativity and technology, Cinman has seen the industry reinvent itself time and again.

Now, as AI begins to fundamentally reshape business models, he believes the opportunity for marketers is not just to adapt, but to lead with both intelligence and empathy.

Cinman is set to unpack what this shift really means for the future of the industry as a speaker at the upcoming Nedbank IMC Conference 2026 that takes place on 17 September at the Mosaiek Teatro in Fairland, Randburg, where his topic is The Year AI Changed Everything in Advertising?.

How would you describe yourself in one word?

Impatient.

What excites you the most about your industry?

We have the opportunity to creatively solve problems for our clients. This is a really unique opportunity to use our brains and hearts in a purposeful way

What upcoming trend is important for the industry and why?

Obviously I’m going to say the full impact of AI on our business model

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What gives you the most satisfaction in your work?'

Seeing people grow, progress and succeed. I love that I have the ability to open up new vistas for people in their lives.

What excites you about the upcoming IMC and being a speaker at the event?

IMC is the premier marketing conference in SA so it’s a great privilege to get to present at the event.

What is the most important lesson you have learned in your career?

Caring is strongest superpower.

Given the above what advice do you have for a young person looking to enter the industry?

Educate yourself on AI - in particular do some coding, even if you don’t plan on being a coder. It’s the best way to learn what is really possible at the cutting edge of AI.

About the IMC 2026

Get to know the speakers before the event through this exclusive Bizcommunity series of profiles on the Nedbank IMC – the Integrated Marketing Conference speakers in the run-up to the event.

The 2026 Nedbank IMC takes place on Thursday, 17 September at Mosaiek Teatro, Johannesburg, with a virtual attendance option. The theme is Shift Happens.

In-person phase two tickets are R3,500 excluding VAT. Virtual tickets are R950 excluding VAT.

The Nedbank IMC is presented in association with the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA) and in active support of leading industry bodies, including the ACA, PRISA, DMASA, ARB, The Creative Circle, The Loeries and The Effies.

No other marketing conference on the continent convenes this breadth of industry representation in a single day.

The Nedbank IMC is owned and produced by IMC Academy (Pty) Ltd. The conference is Africa’s biggest marketing conference. Founded by Dale Hefer and launched in 2019 with Nedbank as naming sponsor, the conference is held annually in Johannesburg and attended by marketers, brand leaders, agency executives and business leaders from across Africa and beyond.