Marketer
Enterpreneur
Academic
Board Member
Podcaster
About
In 2012, Bant founded Qnary an award-winning executive reputation management and talent branding solutions company. Qnary was listed as one of the 5000 fastest-growing companies in America by Inc magazine in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, and was also listed as one of the 360 best companies by Entrepreneur magazine in 2018 and 2019. Bant now serves as Qnary's Executive Chairman and CEO. Bant started his career as a WPP Fellow and has spent his career in holding company and operating unit leadership roles at Publicis, Dentsu, and IPG. He was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement in 2010. In 2021, Bant was added to PRWeek's Dashboard25 that highlights the biggest comms tech players in the space. Lastly, Bant has a PhD in marketing and continues to teach in the Master's Program at Blanquerna - Universitat Ramon Llull in Barcelona, Spain.
Academic Work
Bant’s academic research explores the intersection of media, marketing, technology, and executive reputation.
Drawing from decades of leadership in global advertising and media organizations, his work examines how digital transformation and emerging technologies are reshaping modern marketing and communication.
I Think Therefore I Am
I recently completed a piece of research that captures a genuine contradiction at the heart of how the industry thinks about AI right now. I first studied AI attitudes in the marketing and advertising industry in 2020, and repeated that study this year with 520 professionals. The headline finding is a paradox: 44% of respondents now agree that "AI can be just as creative as a human" — a 48% jump from 2020 — while simultaneously, 66% agree that "creativity can never be replaced by a machine." Both statements were held simultaneously by the same people. The study digs into why. One of the more provocative findings: respondents who rate their own AI understanding the highest are also the most likely to believe AI can replace critical thinking and do their jobs for them — a pattern the research links to lower, not higher, actual AI literacy. Users who interact primarily with friendly LLM interfaces may be the most overconfident about what AI actually is. Other findings worth flagging: - Self-reported AI understanding jumped from 3.1/10 in 2020 to 7.3/10 in 2025 — a 234% increase - The tasks practitioners now see AI assisting have shifted entirely: from data cleanup and copywriting in 2020 to marketing strategy, consumer insight, and brainstorming in 2025 - 21–33% of YouTube advertising across 20 markets is now estimated to be AI "slop" — and 54% of consumers say AI ads feel impersonal
The International Public Relations Association Gold Paper on Executive Reputation
"The new IPRA Gold Paper The Changing Face of Executive Reputation is co-authored by Bant Breen and Enric Ordeix. Breen is the founder, chair and CEO of Qnary, while Ordeix, is director of the Blanquerna School of International Communication and sits on the IPRA Board. Together they have brought admirable wisdom and research skills to bear on a fascinating yet under-analysed topic. In the summer of 2018, Qnary and the BE Center for Global Communications (a shared initiative between Emerson College and The Blanquerna School of Communications) surveyed 6,200 full-time employees across the US, UK, China, Italy, Spain and Australia. The results of that survey provided the foundation for the Gold Paper’s exploration of C-suite reputation and its incontrovertible conclusion that the online reputations of senior C-level executives have become a significant influence on the perception of organizations."
I think therefore I am…? An exploration of artificial intelligence (AI) marketing practitioner perceptions and practices
The doctorate explores the perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) by the advertising industry and contrasts those perceptions with the state of AI marketing development today. The advertising industry is an interesting focal point for a discussion regarding AI because it is one of the emblematic creatively focused industries, and creative is often viewed as an area where machines can only copy or support and not ideate. The primary research for the thesis is a survey of key stakeholders in the advertising and marketing world on the topic of artificial intelligence. After fielding the questionnaire, a smaller set of respondents participated in follow-up interviews to expand their opinions on various areas of the survey. The results show an industry cautiously interested in AI and its potential, but woefully unaware and unprepared for the challenges this technological leap-forward presents.
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Podcasts
The Uncaged Show Podcast
The UNCAGED show is a popular podcast that celebrates thought leadership from today’s top business leaders, giving a voice to leading executives who are shaping the world of business today and mapping the path to commerce tomorrow.
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Speaking & Lecturing
Bant regularly speaks at universities, conferences, and industry events, where he shares insights on the changing nature of marketing, media, and technology.
His talks bring together academic research and hands-on experience, offering a practical look at how leaders and organizations can adapt and move forward with clarity.
Board Positions
Bant Breen has served on public boards like Harte Hanks and continues to serve on the boards of publicly listed Super League and the advisory board of IV.AI. Bant is open to being considered for other board and advisory positions.