Unmtchd.

Building a brand is hard - we're here to help. Subscribe to our podcast & newsletter at www.theunmtchd.com

Founder & Host 

PUMA Group

Marketing Director Accessories & Licensing

Teamhead BU Marketing Accessories & Licensing

Teamhead Licensing (Motorsport & PUMA Brand Licensing)

Senior Licensing Manager

Manager Sports Licensing

GRUPO CORTEFIEL

International Marketing Manager Springfield 

Viacom

Category Manager Softlines 

Warner Bros. Entertainment

Retail & Licensing Manager 

NEOMEDIA

Senior Account Executive 

The Walt Disney Company

RETAIL SALES & MARKETING

Hey there, I'm Oana 👋

I am a seasoned brand & marketing executive with 20+ years of experience across consumer products , licensing and brand partnerships for top entertainment , sports and fashion companies like Walt Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Springfield and PUMA.

I am also a passionate speaker on the power of brand authenticity, the holistic brand thinking and marketers as the soul of the brand.

My mission is, ultimately, to inspire marketers to find their voice, own their story and build better brands for the future.

🎙 Listen to my podcast — The Unmtchd. Podcast with Oana Leonte. Our guests, whether famous or under-the-radar, share their processes, failures, lessons, and actionable strategies for building successful brands. This is NOT your average marketing podcast. Tune in!

Personal interests: tennis, meditation, lifestyle design, investing, artificial intelligence and web3.

Now this is what I call an unmatched brief 👏🏻

Oana  Leonte 💬

I can't believe I'm announcing this, but...

Next week will be my last at PUMA. 

After almost 10 years with the brand, I've decided to take a big leap of faith and steer my own boat from now on.

(more on this in due time...) 

This has been clearly one of the most transformative work and life experiences for me, so indulge me in taking my time to do a proper farewell and to thank so many incredible people I met along the way:

I want to thank Gulya (Gulchekhra) Bakeberg - your wisdom and inspiration have guided me since our first LinkedIn coffee chat a decade ago. 

I wouldn't have been working at PUMA if it were not for Evy Bronneberg who believed in me and welcomed me to the team. She made me feel at home from day one and supported my growth throughout our time working together. 

Thomas Josnik, a true leader and friend who constantly pushed me to ask those tough questions and keep moving forward... I will miss our chats! 

Daniela Molin for being one of the kindest and most supporting managers I've had in my career, always wanting to do the best for her team and the company. You've taught me that leadership doesn't have to be harsh, and that it can and should also be kind and empathetic. 

Of course, a massive shoutout to my TEAM ♥ 

I had the privilege to work with some incredible people during these 10 years and I got to learn a lot, create a lot, achieve a lot, and also struggle a lot ... and the best of it was that we did it all, together. 

They say that a company isn't a family.

But if there's one place that gets extremely close to it, that for sure is PUMA. In my career I've had the privilege to work for some of the biggest brands in the world, but not many gave me this feeling of belonging and commitment that PUMA did.

I'm not going to lie... it will be hard and strange for a while not being part of this brand, and not coming into the office every day. 

But I will always continue to cheer on my PUMA peeps from the sidelines, and I am excited about all the amazing things the brand has in store for us. 

As Usain Bolt once said, “Don’t think about the start of the race, think about the ending.” 

Thank you #pumafam, what a great way to end this journey! 

One more week to go , #foreverfaster

BEYOND LABELS 🔥 

I've always believed that accessories (and fashion in general) can fuel our confidence and our sense of identity. 

And that's exactly the idea behind 'Beyond Labels' - it's not just a collection of bags, it's a celebration of individuality.

Regardless of your background, gender, or personal style, 'Beyond Labels' is about empowering individuals to own their voice and proudly showcase their authenticity. 

In partnership with popular artist Thomas Lélu, we're launching a bold inclusive message worldwide - to think beyond the labels that define you and to uncover your true self. 

We've worked on this collection for the last 18 months and the synergy between product, design, and marketing to bring this to life was nothing short of exceptional⚡ Big shout out to Lisa Huber Mickaël PESEZ Vanessa Boeck for working together seamlessly to make this happen!

Lastly,  big THANK YOU to our agency Flight Story and the team there  Oliver Yonchev Tom Lindfalk Jason Fisher 🔥 Pollyanna Ward 🚀 Isaac Martin who made this launch so easy to tackle in spite of so many pieces that needed to be connected. You guys ROCK! 👏 👏👏 

Remember, you have permission to be YOU. 

And to think BEYOND LABELS.

Check it out on puma.com. 

PS. You can find these cool filters on Instagram too, at @pumasportstyle and @thomaslelu and you can use them with your own pics! Sharing mine below in the comments 😎 👇

Brand Entrepreneur & Advisor • Host of The Unmtchd. Podcast • Former PUMA | Disney | Warner Bros. | Paramount • Mission to inspire marketers to find their voice, own their story and build better brands for the future.

Wrapping up 10 amazing years at PUMA Group and it's been such a rollercoaster 🚀 

This brand has given me so many opportunities to grow, travel, meet exciting people, create, think out of the box, change the game and change myself. 

Digging into my archive these days and found some of my favourite moments:

🔥 Worked with Red Bull Racing for the launch of our Motorsport partnership 
🔥 Launched a Smartwatch at the top of the Empire State Building 
🔥 Got Antoine Griezmann to knit for a PUMA fragrance campaign 
🔥 Getting my first tattoo in NYC with the team (with a twist)
🔥 Featured Tommie Smith in our beanie campaign
🔥 Maxed out RSVPs at the PUMA store in NYC 
🔥 Making caps become hometown heroes  
🔥 Shooting a campaign with Usain Bolt 
🔥 Bringing headwear culture to Herzo
🔥 Spent a Xmas with Elvis 

What a privilege it's been! 

Who would've thought that a girl from Romania, could get to do all these things? 

Here's to the next 10 years, let's make them count 💪 


#puma #foreverfaster #lastdays

So, what's next? 

A question I keep getting every day since anouncing I'm leaving PUMA after 10 years with the brand. 

So many friends (old and new), have reached out to wish me well and to ask about my next steps (which I am sooo thankful for). 

As I embark on this much anticipated entrepreneurial chapter (which I have been waiting for since I was a teenager helping out my parents in their own business), I'm filled with excitement, anticipation, and a big (yet healthy) dose of nerves.

Going from intrapreneur to entrepreneur might not be as easy and exciting as it sounds. 

A lot of things are similar but A LOT more is very different. 

I relfected on all of this in my latest newsletter which went out last Friday:

-> the 5 key learnings from corporate that I believe will serve me well moving forward
-> the 5 big mindset shifts I will have to tackle as a business owner

You can read the whole piece here: https://lnkd.in/eHcQyQMX

If you are a business owner already, please share any learnings, I will very much need them in the coming months 😎 


PS. I am on holidays so this is a pre-planned post 😎 🌴

Day 1, last day 📸


It’s a wrap PUMA Group !!

Thank you for the learnings & the memories, it’s been a blast…

And now, onto the new 🚀🚀🚀



#lastday #foreverfaster #puma

Strategy should be about honesty.

You can’t get from A to B without assessing truthfully where you are and what it will take to get you to where you want to be.

That’s strategy in a nutshell.

Too many companies use tactics for strategy, and Alex M H Smith ‘s book addresses all that beautifully.

Had the chance to finally read it on the plane  - best holiday read so far 🤩

Now, little warning - Alex’s book is truly no BS and I personally love it.

Short, easy to understand and to the point.

Will have Alex on the podcast soon - what should I ask him?

Drop your questions below 👇🏻

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I’ve been living in other places for longer than my home country.

And I always thought this was an issue.

I’ve seen myself as an outsider most of the times.

I’m now back in Madrid for holidays with my kids and the penny dropped:

It’s such a privilege that I get to know all these places, speak the languages, know the cultures and share all this with my boys.

They’ve loved the adventure and so did I.

Sometimes all it takes is a change of perspective.

Turning challenges into opportunities.

Happy Saturday from sunny Madrid 😎

Brand Entrepreneur ⚒ • Advisor • Host of The Unmtchd. Podcast • Former PUMA | Disney | Warner Bros. | Paramount • Mission to inspire marketers to find their voice, own their story and build better brands for the future.

Job, kids, podcast, writing online most days...

The last year and a half has a been quite a lot.

How did I manage to do it all?

This has been my secret sauce: building great teams and systems.

Because the reality is I DON’T and CAN’T do it all!

Business and life are team sports, so surrounding yourself with the best people and allowing them to support you is crucial to success.

I've been so fortunate to be surrounded by great people - at home, at the office, and in my side projects, which made all the difference. 

And since I am setting out on my solo journey now, systems are becoming crucial for me to optimize my time.

One system I started to put in place last year already was for content creation and planning:

⚡️   coming up with weekly themes (what I want to talk about) – 1 hour a week, Mondays
⚡️ batch content creation – 1 hour a week, on Wednesdays
⚡️ batch planning across all platforms – 1 hour a week, on Fridays

Keeping things flexible as there might be other topics that come out on a daily basis. 

Gamechanger.

Yes, I still do a lot, because I love what I do and I get a lot of joy from doing it all.

And I must admit that I thrive in creative chaos at times.

But I’m not alone and the idea that you can do everything - whether you’re a man or a woman - is completely false and quite toxic.

So how about you?

What systems do you have in place to get everything done? Share below 👇 


PS. I am on holidays so this is a pre-planned post 😎 🌴 

PPS. My content planning tool for over a year now has been Planable. And when they recently reached out to sponsor my podcast, I was so excited because this is a tool that truly changed the content game for me. I highly recommend it, so go check it out! (dropping the link in comments).

The truth about consumer loyalty is that it doesn’t exist.

Only thing that matters is relevance. 

Since forever.

Are you just filling space or are you crafting your own?

I confess that, for many years, I was a space filler. 

Raised in an Eastern European culture that prized performance over identity, I eagerly pursued each golden medal presented to me. 

My objective? To be the best.

And listen, I am grateful for the successes I achieved along that path.

However, they came with a heavy toll: I lost myself in this process. 

Ironically, not knowing who you are makes you work harder, to outdo others, simply because you don’t trust your own voice or your own story.

It's as if being yourself is never enough.

And after 20 years working with top-tier brands, I finally had my big “a-ha” moment when I realised that just like us individuals, brands too wrestle with the concept of identity. 

Brands without an unmatched identity resort to performance tactics, they compete, they try to mimic the space others hold, and most times their focus isn't on becoming the only choice but rather being the best in the market.

And this is exactly what I want to focus on in my new professional chapter and where I know I can bring the most value ⤵ 

Transforming Brands ➡  Connecting Businesses ➡  Shaping Futures.

Stay tuned, more to come ✌  

And Happy Friday!


PS. This is an excerpt from my latest newsletter article, and if you want to read the full piece, you can do so here: https://lnkd.in/eNHdjbby

We don’t need more brands, we need better brands.

I truly believe this.

The world has already enough things, brands, options… we don’t need more of the same.

We need better. 

Different. Smart. Committed brands.

Brands that understand new generations of consumers and don’t only sell but educate.

That not only produce but build.

Because it’s the build that takes us humans to the next step.

I’m so excited to be able to bring my small contribution to this mission with my next venture. 

Not another consultancy, or agency - we have already so many (good ones and not so good ones).

But an ecosystem, a place for brand and marketing services at large, where brands can evolve holistically and establish consistent growth for the future. 

A brand evolution lab to take consumer brands to the next level keeping the pulse on culture and consumers. 

With one clear mission: building better brands for the future. 

More to come 😎✌🏻


PS It’s the build that’s most exciting, isn’t it?

There are few things I love more than a brand that knows what it ISN’T just as much as what it is. 

That clarity is where you can find your edge and your unmatched potential.

Any company can tell a story about itself.

But for stories to resonate, you need some credibility in the bank.

This is a great example of how Patagonia’s unique positioning and core values have given them the right to unapologetically live by their rules with purpose and passion.

How many brands would kill for this clarity of purpose? 

PS. Check out their YouTube video in the comments below.

Biggest leadership lesson I learned through my corporate career ⤵ 

Master recruiting.

Recruit the right people, invest in their training, and then set them free, empowered. 

This approach gets 90% of the work off your plate.

Suddenly, you've cleared the decks, freeing up time and headspace to strategize, innovate, and supercharge your business.

Because in reality, isn't that what leadership is all about?

What strategies have transformed your own leadership journey? Share below 👇

Marketing Director @ PUMA • Host of The Unmtchd. Podcast • Disney, Warner, Paramount (alumni) • Speaker • Mission to inspire marketers to find their voice, own their story and build better brands for the future.

Do you measure your social media campaigns beyond the typical shares and likes? 

Joris De Bruyne is the CEO of EyeSee, one of the fastest growing behavioral insights companies in the world, based in New York, London, Paris, Gent/Antwerp, Belgrade, Mexico City and Singapore. 

As a marketing director, I've always been very mindful of the investment we put in our campaigns, especially on social media. 

And I always felt that especially on social there was a lot that could not be accurately measured, until I came across EyeSee who implements eye-tracking tecnology to measure consumers emotional responses to campaigns on social platforms. 

So I really wanted to deep dive into what they do. 

In this episode, Joris and I discuss: 

💡what truly captures an audience's attention online
💡the layers of social media revolutionizing content creation
💡the waterdrop® case study : involving consumers in their decision-making process
💡 insights from eye-tracking technology that go beyond traditional likes and shares metrics 
💡 reshaping how we create content that resonates through emotional reactions of viewers 
💡navigating the current digital landscape as leaders by managing your physical, emotional, and spiritual energy for sustained success

I learned so much from this conversation, and I hope it will be of value to you too!

You can watch this episode here or find it on any podcast platform by searching 'The Unmtchd. Podcast': https://lnkd.in/eaeDbu6i

Producer credit: 🎙 Tinu Teleptean

PS. If you like this, please subscribe to The Unmtchd. Podcast on your platform of choice, so we can bring more valuable guests into the conversation. 

#UnmtchdPodcast

Connect with people who already do what you want to do.

I met Marta Moya Martín through LinkedIn about a year ago and we’ve been in touch periodically since then.

She’s one of the most inspirational people I follow over here, and I get so much insight from her on what it takes to be an entrepreneur with the highs and the lows and everything in between.

We just met for a coffee this morning in Madrid and spent all our time exchanging ideas and sharing our projects and dreams.

This is the beauty of sharing online - meeting interesting people and then being able to become more than just online penpals.

Happy Sunday everyone!  😎☀️

Changing who you once were isn’t easy.

But you only need to make one tiny step forward.

I’m making mine, how about you? 😊✌🏻

Getting real about brand authenticity on social 👇  

In episode 26 of The Unmtchd. Podcast, we're diving into the high-flying social media strategy that made Ryanair - Europe's Favourite Airline a case study in brand authenticity. 

Michael Corcoran, Ex Ryanair Head of Social and Managing Partner at social media agency Frankly, takes us on a journey from his start as a nightclub bouncer to becoming a social media rock star. 

📈 In this episode, we cover:
- Michael's strategy for sustainable social media operations.
- The importance of C-suite buy-in for digital initiatives.
- The difference between social media strategy and tactics.
- The evolution of brand authenticity in the digital space.

This episode is a MASTERCLASS in social strategy AND execution,so if I were you, I wouldn't miss it! 

You can watch this episode here or find it on any podcast platform by searching 'The Unmtchd. Podcast': https://lnkd.in/eJdvhUzD

Producer credit: 🎙 Tinu Teleptean

PS. Big shout out to Planable who is Unmtchd.'s first sponsor! I've been using this content planning tool for a year now so I was stocked when they reached out 🙏   

#UnmtchdPodcast

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