Cut the Red Tape: Gil Gonzalez on Streamlining Systems, Empowering People, and Delivering Smarter

With more than 15 years of experience at companies such as Netflix, Disney, and HBO, Gil Gonzalez is a Product Manager and Creative Assets Specialist who has led initiatives to optimize digital asset management (DAM) systems and media workflows. His expertise spans metadata management, vendor relations, process improvements, and technology integration. A problem solver at heart, Gil is always looking for fresh ways to enhance content delivery and help brands connect with their audiences across multiple platforms.

What’s one belief you’ve changed about how creative operations work?

I used to believe that creative operations should stay “behind the curtain,” supporting but not driving strategy. But over time, I’ve learned that creative ops – especially DAM, metadata governance and cross-functional workflows – are the heartbeat of content marketing. If the infrastructure isn’t scalable, your campaign won’t be either. Creative Ops aren’t just support; they’re strategic enablement.

What’s the most overlooked challenge in marketing operations?

Lack of empowerment. Too many teams are slowed by unnecessary approvals, rigid hierarchies, or tools that don’t scale. I’ve seen incredibly talented creatives and marketers wait days (sometimes months) for sign offs or chase down assets because a taxonomy wasn’t aligned. That’s wasted time and energy. The challenge is not always technical – its operational culture.

Do you think creative operations and asset managers are given enough influence?

Not yet, but that’s changing. The teams closest to the assets understand pain points, bottlenecks, and audience touch points better than anyone. When they’re involved early in campaign planning, the work gets done faster and smarter. Visibility comes from demonstrating that operational decisions are business decisions.

What’s one metric that’s misunderstood in marketing teams?

Number of assets created, or volume ingested are vanity metrics. Ingesting 10,000 assets isn’t a win if no one can find or reuse them. A bloated DAM isn’t value, its clutter. The focus should be on asset utilization – what’s being surfaced, versioned correctly, reused across teams and actually driving campaigns forward. Clean, findable, reusable content is the true ROI.

What drew you to creative content, tech, and media operations?

I’ve always loved design and storytelling, but I’m equally passionate about bridging creativity and technology. Working at companies like HBO, Disney and Netflix gave me the opportunity to do both: shape how content is presented and how it moves through complex systems. Great content isn’t enough on its own, you need the right engine behind it to deliver at scale.

What’s one lesson you learned early in your career that still guides you today?

Start with the people. Tools change and platforms evolve, but if you don’t understand your stakeholders’ pain points, you’re just automating broken processes. Listening is the foundation of every scalable solution I’ve built. I’ve learned to lean in with curiosity across every part of the content supply chain (not just in one area or business unit). It’s the best way to understand requirements, uncover gaps, and build systems that actually work!

What’s the biggest trend in creative ops or content technology that entertainment and marketing teams should watch in 2025?

Intelligent automation. Not just AI, but systems that can learn bespoke workflows and continuously optimize delivery. We’re moving toward proactive content ecosystems – ones that can flag rights issues, recommend formats, and even suggest distribution strategies. The goal? Less manual chasing, and more strategic, high-impact work.

What’s the biggest shift in how content teams or marketing orgs are structuring their creative operations today?

A move toward decentralization. Smaller, empowered pods, often cross-functional, are replacing siloed structures. And when supported by smart systems they move fast and stay aligned.