Cristiana Spataru: A Change-Maker with a Global Perspective

Cristiana Spataru’s career journey reads like a roadmap of change, growth, and creativity, spanning over two decades across advertising and marketing consultancy.

Starting out in international relations with a marketing focus, Cristiana's passion was unlocked with an Erasmus scholarship in France, where the intellectual, debate-driven culture left a lasting mark on her. Studying alongside a diverse group from all over Europe drove a lifelong appreciation for cultural diversity and critical thinking. This early mix of creativity and global perspectives became the foundation of her career.

From the start, Cristiana was drawn to big challenges. Working with large, complex organisations, she quickly built a reputation for driving strategic work that had a real impact. Her drive for the next big challenge led her to top agencies across Europe—in Amsterdam, Paris, and London—where she led transformative work for major global brands. This experience gave her a nuanced perspective on agency models, uncovering best practices and the principles that drive effective partnerships.

This wealth of experience naturally paved the way for Cristiana’s move into consultancy. Today, she helps clients refine their marketing operating models, blending industry expertise with a drive to push boundaries and create tangible impact.

Biggest Industry Challenge

When questioned on the biggest coming challenge, Cristiana highlights the disruption the marketing industry is facing, which will only get more complex as human creativity and AI intersect. 

With the rise of creative tools available to anyone, brands now compete not just with each other, but with countless independent creators. In this content-saturated world, Cristiana agrees that brands need strong, authentic identities to stand out.

On top of that, marketing teams are under pressure to deliver more with fewer resources. But before teams take on “more,” they need a clear plan—a strategic framework that connects internal and external goals and is measured by meaningful KPIs. Without this clarity, marketing risks becoming just a lot of activity without purpose—busy work that misses the real goal: building valuable, long-lasting connections with customers.

Preparing for the Future 

Cristiana loves that her work requires a long-term perspective. With AI accelerating change, marketers need future-focused support to optimise their operating models. 

Cristiana provides guidance through four key lenses: 

• People: As new technologies emerge, some roles will evolve, new ones will pop up, and others might fade. Marketers need agile teams that are ready to adapt and build skills for the future.
• Processes: Juggling today’s fragmented tools and platforms can be overwhelming. Marketing leaders should focus on creating streamlined workflows, both within their teams and with external partners, to keep everyone aligned and focused.
• Platforms: Automation is now essential, but with so many choices, it’s easy to go overboard. The key is to pick tools that integrate smoothly with existing systems, so teams can stay nimble and avoid unnecessary complexity.
• Partners: Finding the right partners is more important than ever. Brands need collaborators who share their vision, prioritise mutual success, and integrate seamlessly with their team and tools.

Key Skills for Tomorrow’s Marketers

The future of marketing is all about ‘adaptability, strategic thinking, and comfort with technology’ according to Cristiana. While creativity is still vital, it has to be paired with strong analytical skills that go beyond surface-level metrics. Campaigns need to deliver genuine results that make an impact on both the brand and the audience.

Resilience is also crucial. In a landscape that’s constantly changing, marketers who encourage adaptability and leadership can foster a culture ready for transformation, turning challenges into opportunities.

Cristiana foresees cross-channel communication and collaboration as essential as the lines between content, media, and technology continue to blur. The marketers who excel will be the ones who balance creativity with data-driven insights, stay agile, and consistently deliver measurable value to their organisations.

The Ideal Client: Bold Brands Ready for Change

Like many within the AAR team, Cristiana prefers to seek out clients who are ready to embrace bold change. She’s especially drawn to brands that might get overlooked or those taking risks in traditional sectors, where there’s real opportunity to make an impact.

What Makes AAR Unique?

Cristiana loves her role at AAR because it keeps her plugged into the latest industry trends. AAR works with around 70 brands each year, giving Cristiana and her colleagues a uniquely broad view of market trends and best practices. They know that every client has different needs, and what works for one might not be right for another. At the heart of AAR’s success is its people—a team of experts with deep knowledge, high energy, and empathy.

Explorer at Heart, Driven by Change

With a focus on People, Processes, Platforms, and Partners, she helps brands bring their strategies to life. In a nutshell, Cristiana helps clients figure out the “how” of marketing so they can deliver the “what” brilliantly.

Her passion for tackling big challenges and driving growth has been the thread through every stage of her career; as one client put it, “We’re gonna make this elephant dance”—a phrase that speaks to the energy Cristiana brings in helping clients transform complex organisations. For her, success isn’t just about solving immediate issues; it’s about opening new paths for lasting impact.