Fred
Schank.
The human junction box.
I figure out why people do things. Then I build solutions.
I think in systems,
see in patterns,
move in iterations.
Fred Schank is an AI and innovation executive at Omnicom and a systems thinker who has worked across software development, experience strategy and AI for twenty years.
I see how the pieces connect before I touch any of them.
I’m wired for vision and analysis first. I know where I’m not naturally strong, so I build teams and systems that cover it.
Five values, ranked.
- 01
Mastery
Depth, not breadth for its own sake. Understand it at the level where you can build, break, and teach it.
- 02
Craft
Everything I put out has to hold up under scrutiny. If it isn't built to last, it isn't worth building.
- 03
Elegance
The absence of unnecessary complexity. Beautiful in design and functional in practice.
- 04
Honesty
I'd rather hear a hard truth than a comfortable lie. Same standard for myself.
- 05
Autonomy
Give me the problem, not the procedure. I operate best with freedom.
Twenty years of building.
Too Much Media, Senior Developer
Wrote production code at scale and learned how systems actually fail. Then took responsibility for 25+ developers and support technicians and re-architected the flagship product end to end. Found out leadership is mostly removing obstacles, not giving directions.
Zimmerman Advertising, Director of Digital Experience & Technology
There was no UX, analytics, programmatic or technology team. I built all four, and they became services we sold to clients.
Zimmerman Advertising, VP of Experience
Pulled people from every department into the agency's first innovation team. Together we designed and built a hyperlocal media platform.
Zimmerman Advertising, Chief Experience Officer
Owned the agency's innovation agenda and led digital transformation for our biggest retail clients. Sat on Omnicom's Innovation Community.
Immersive Commerce
Co-wrote the Immersive Commerce white paper. The premise was simple: tear down the fence and sell. Sell anywhere. Sell everywhere.
Luckie, Chief Experience Officer
Built the experience and content strategy practice. Opened the agency's virtual office in Decentraland and did every step ourselves, so we could guide clients through it.
TMA (The Marketing Arm), SVP of Brand Experience
Brand experience across gaming, culture and commerce. We built Doritos Mart inside Fortnite, then built a real one at TwitchCon.
Betting on AI
Architected the agency's first AI platform. Moved from operator to system designer, building the tools that other teams build with.
Omnicom US Advertising Collective, AI & Innovation Lead
Leading AI strategy and AI transformation across the Collective's agencies. Figuring out why teams work the way they do, then building the agents and workflows that change it.
Vision first, engineering second
Twenty years in, the pattern is clear: see the architecture before the parts, build the smallest version that proves the thesis, then scale what works.
Working in public.
AI Is Leaving Its AOL Era
Generative AI chat was like AOL. Connected to the right tools, Claude Cowork builds the finished thing, and every edit makes the next run faster.
The Tech Is Ready. Your Company Isn't.
AI moves on an exponential curve. Most companies still change once a year. Why the gap is already here, and what to own while it closes.
Let’s talk.
Tell me the shape of the problem. I’ll tell you whether I can help — directly, no hedging.