Episode #632 of Six Pixels of Separation is now live and ready for you to listen to.

He is, without a doubt, the smartest thinker (and doer) in advertising. Over the years, I have been fortunate to call Rishad Tobaccowala a friend. Some know him best for calling advertising agencies “cockroaches,” while others appreciate his mentorship (he prides himself on helping advertising professionals in their professional development). For over 35 years he has held a myriad of roles at Publicis Groupe. Currently, he holds the title of Chief Growth Officer and member of the management board at Publicis. With that, he is an active investor and advisor in a range of startups and venture capital firms. If that were not enough, he also actively runs The Tobaccowala Foundation. I could not wait for the opportunity to talk with Rishad about the current (and volatile) state of advertising, the agency model, the holding companies and the many disruptions this industry now faces. Rishad was also a key figure in the recently published book, Frenemies by Ken Auletta, which all about the ad business (and an incredible read). Editorial note: we had some Skype challenges with this recording. I did my best to edit the audio and clean it up. Please stick with this. It is worth it. Enjoy the conversation…

You can grab the latest episode of Six Pixels of Separation here (or feel free to subscribe via iTunes): Six Pixels of Separation #632.