Why Finance Is One of the Most Creative Jobs in an Agency: BBH's Garin Bisschoff

Garin Bisschoff’s route into finance (and then advertising) began not in a boardroom but on a cricket pitch. Originally from South Africa, he arrived in the UK 21 years ago — “I came to the UK for a gap year and to play cricket, but quickly realised I needed to get a proper job if I was going to stay in London.”

That job was at the travel business Flight Centre — a far cry from the creative centre of excellence where he now works. Bisschoff started in the post room before being moved into finance within a couple of months. The company sponsored his professional qualifications. He later gained experience across sectors including travel, telecoms and recruitment before advertising became a calling.

It was solid grounding — but it wasn’t until he landed a commercial role at The Marketing Store that his career properly clicked.

“That was my first advertising role, which just blew my mind,” he says. “It opened my mind to what’s possible working in the creative industries — and to the role that commercial teams play. It’s not that stale, stereotypical finance function. It’s the teams that are moving and shaking and doing all the deals. It’s kind of the sexy side of finance.”

Eight years ago, Bisschoff joined BBH, where he is now a partner and CFO. What keeps him there, he says, is the pace. “I think we’re all secretly addicted to the adrenaline rush that is advertising.” Agencies move fast, he adds — far faster than many people outside the industry realise. “You realise how adaptable you need to be to be successful. With technology, pitching, clients moving — you’re constantly reassessing your offering.”

That pace fundamentally changes what finance looks like inside an agency. “From a finance point of view, you’re not just running the numbers and going through the motions,” he says. “It’s very engaging and very fast-moving.”

This is why he thinks the biggest misconception about CFOs and FDs is that the job is purely about accounting. “A lot of people just think it’s a numbers role,” he says. “But particularly in larger businesses, it’s a very diverse role that borders on a COO position.”

At BBH, Bisschoff oversees not just finance, but technology, HR, legal, property, facilities and business transformation. “Pretty much everything that sits outside of production, strategy, account management and creative comes through me,” he says. “You are really running the business — and you’re a true partner in making the best work possible.”

AI has only intensified that responsibility. Eight years ago when he started, (obviously) it wasn’t part of the picture. Now, it’s everywhere. “We’re embedding it across the business,” he says. “From language models interrogating our datasets to AI tools built into our daily workflows.”

The impact has been transformative — though not in the way many fear. “It hasn’t necessarily reduced headcount,” he explains, “but it’s made everyone a lot more efficient and effective, and able to move at a much higher pace.”

Crucially, Bisschoff believes agencies must use AI properly themselves before selling it to clients. “If we’re going to sell AI, we need to make sure it’s embedded in our business first — and done properly here before we move to that stage fully.”

Despite the commercial and operational focus, creativity remains central to his MO. Asked about favourite BBH work, Bisschoff points to Audi 'Clowns; from earlier in his tenure — “a masterpiece”.

And more recently he mentions the Mentos 'Fizzooka'. “It wasn’t your stereotypical out-of-home or above-the-line advertising,” he says. “It really showed what we’re capable of.”

That kind of work also challenges traditional pricing models beyond what his predecessors might have been used to — and sits at the heart of the creative/commercial conundrum many of his contemporaries are wrestling with.

BBH, he says, prides itself on its commercial approach. “The core methodology is making sure there’s a fair value exchange,” he explains. “Both parties have to walk away feeling good.”

Increasingly, that means having “skin in the game” — linking remuneration to outcomes and business performance. He’s also a long-standing advocate of asset pricing. “When you buy a laptop, you don’t ask how many hours it took to put together,” he says. “You buy the asset. We need to protect the value of what we create.”

If a deal doesn’t stack up, BBH is prepared to walk away. “A bad deal is not a deal,” he says simply.

That confidence is supported by a closely aligned leadership team. Bisschoff sits on the board alongside CEO Karen Martin and the agency’s senior creative, strategy, production and client leaders. “It’s a very open relationship,” he says. “We know our lanes, we respect each other, and we make sure the right people are in the room for big decisions.”

After years in the industry, the thing that still surprises him most is the speed. “I can go on holiday for two days and come back needing a full debrief,” he says. “Things move at an absolute rate of knots." 

There is, however, one principle that underpins everything he does. “Every single decision we make, you ask yourself one question: does it make the work better?” he says. “Every pound we spend. Everything we sign off.”

If the answer is yes, the decision is easy. “And if it doesn’t,” he adds, “we really need to scrutinise why we’re exhausting effort on it.”

As for cricket, it’s on pause — at least for now. “I’m thinking of making a comeback before I get decrepit. But with three young kids, it’s hard to manage everything.”