Carrie Ellen Phillips - Founding Partner at BPCM

Carrie Ellen Phillips - Founding Partner at BPCM

Author: the co-lab October 1, 2024 Duration: 16:20

Carrie Ellen Phillips is a partner in the global strategic communications and consulting firm BPCM, which she co-founded with Vanessa von Bismarck in 1999. Carrie spearheads BPCM’s flourishing Sustainability and Impact practice and has transformed it into the fastest-growing part of the agency. She is an established industry strategist in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle arenas, helping brands set and achieve sustainability and impact-driven goals while maintaining growth and profitability. She is a frequent speaker and advisor to the Bard MBA in Sustainability, a lecturer at Columbia University, and an advisor to private equity funds Closed Loop Partners and ReGen. She was also a founding partner of the U.S. Coalition on Sustainability at the United Nations and a policy advisor to the New Standard Institute.

In this episode, Carrie speaks with her business partner, Vanessa von Bismarck. Carrie discusses their business, a strategic communications agency specializing in fashion, lifestyle, beauty, automotive, and sustainability. Carrie also highlights the importance of pursuing work that excites you and shares insights into their sustainability practice developed over recent years.


Behind every successful brand, collection, or campaign in the worlds of fashion, beauty, and luxury, there are people with stories that rarely make the front page. The co-lab career stories brings those narratives to the forefront, moving past polished resumes to explore the real, often winding journeys of professionals. This isn't about theoretical advice; it's a series of candid conversations hosted by members of the co-lab community themselves. You'll hear from a CEO reflecting on a pivotal early mistake alongside an assistant buyer navigating their first major season, all within the same episode. The dialogue naturally covers the unexpected detours, the jobs that didn't work out, and the moments of mentorship that changed everything. By focusing on personal experience rather than industry abstraction, this podcast reveals the human texture of creative and commercial fields. It serves as a reminder that a career is rarely a straight line, especially in fast-paced sectors driven by art and aesthetics. Tune in for genuine reflections on building a life in these visually compelling industries, where every story adds a new thread to the broader tapestry.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The co-lab career stories
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