Eat In or Dine Out: Curating Creative Teams with Derek O’Brien

On a brand-new episode of Eat In or Dine Out, Derek O’Brien CMO of Peabody Essex Museum pops by Jennifer Harrington’s kitchen to:

🤝  Talk about when, why, and how the PEM marketing team partners with external agencies.

🏛️  Share what’s exciting and challenging about building and leading a museum marketing team.

🍱  Dine out on Korean treats in honor of the new Yu Kil-Chun Gallery of Korean Art and Culture.

Have you checked out PEM’s new Korean wing yet — what did you think?

 

P.S. Don’t forget to follow HATCH on LinkedIn to catch upcoming episodes and bonus content!

 

 

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TRANSCRIPT 

Jen: Hello, I’m Jen Harrington, and this is Eat In or Dine Out, where I invite marketing whizzes into my kitchen to talk about how they build their teams—whether they’re “eating in” and growing from within or “dining out” and partnering with agencies like mine.

Today, I’m thrilled to have my friend and client, Derek O’Brien, Chief Marketing Officer for the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM).

Derek: Thanks for having me, Jen.

Jen: You know the premise—you have to pick: eat in or dine out.

Derek: What’s on the menu if I choose?

Jen: Dine out is Korean.

Derek: Done. Dine out it is!

A CAREER WITH A PURPOSE

Jen: You’ve had such an interesting career. How did you end up in the museum world after working in agencies?

Derek: I’ve spent my entire career in advertising and marketing agencies. Then I started doing pro bono work for a nonprofit called Home Base, which helps veterans and their families overcome PTSD.

At one of their ribbon-cuttings, I met a veteran who spoke about how the program changed his life. It hit me—this is the kind of impact I wanted my work to have. So when a position opened up at PEM, right in my hometown of Salem, it felt meant to be.

Jen: And now you’ve been there eight years!

Derek: Eight years this September. Time flies.

 

POWER OF AGENCY PARTNERSHIP

Jen: Coming from an agency background, how has that shaped how you partner with agencies now?

Derek: It taught me the difference between a vendor and a partner. I inherited an incredibly talented internal team, but most came from the museum world, not agencies. So we look for agency partners who can bring that outside creative energy—collaboration, brainstorming, seeing things from new perspectives.

Jen: I like that word, partner.

Derek: Exactly. It’s about shared ownership of the creative process.

FINDING THE BALANCE

Jen: How do you decide what projects stay in-house versus what goes to an agency?

Derek: I look at our team’s bandwidth and skill sets. If it’s a recurring need, that’s an in-house role. But for things like media buying or research, we look outward. Our team is strong in design, writing, and media—but the right partner fills in the gaps and challenges us creatively.

Jen: When you’re hiring internally, what qualities do you look for?

Derek: Creativity and curiosity. I love when someone comes from outside the museum world—it brings a fresh perspective. And honestly, with smaller nonprofit budgets, we need people who can think big creatively and practically.

SHAMELESS PLUG

Jen: We always wrap up with a little shameless plug. What’s new at PEM?

Derek: I’m glad you asked! We just opened our new Korean Gallery of Art and Culture. The opening featured a K-pop dance party—my first ever—and it was incredible. The community’s response has been amazing.

Jen: Everyone should go check it out!

Derek: Yes, visit PEM.org for details.

Jen: Thanks so much for joining me, Derek and thank you to everyone watching Eat In or Dine Out. Don’t forget to like, follow, and share on LinkedIn!

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