About me
Once upon a time my plan was to be a tabloid journalist. I have now been working in the advertising for the last eight years – always as a strategist or planner, just changing the word in front of it.
I started as a Media Strategist in Maxus then moved to Singapore and to brand planning for a year at JWT before dabbling in digital at AKQA. Finally I landed as a strategist at Johannes Leonardo in New York. When I first arrived there was one strategy intern and a written brief was a mythical beast. I’ve spent the last three years helping to build the planning practice from scratch, create processes that actual help the creative process instead of hinder and saw the team go from one and a half to ten full-timers. I’ve worked across many sectors from luxury, FMCG, charity, finance and insurance, start-ups and tech – my last months in NYC were spent working on Google and Amazon.
I’ve won an Atticus Award for original thinking, been part of a pair who won Gold at Cannes Young Lions for the UK, have a few Effies under my belt… and I have a Blue Peter badge.
My new role at WPP is to support the opcos to do the best work possible. In New Business I help build the right teams and answers from across WPP, connecting the best talent and expertise to deliver winning pitches. And around the network we’re doing everything we can to attract and retain the best (and best means most diverse…) talent. If we don’t look like Modern Britain, we can’t make work that resonates with Modern Britain.
Work history
Director, UK TeamWPP
London, United KingdomFull Time
I currently work in the UK Country Manager Team, with Karen Blackett, helping to connect up our offering and grow business in the UK.
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StrategistJohannes Leonardo
- New York, United StatesFull Time
I’ve built strategies for Amazon Fire TV and the launch of the first Google branded laptop; taken on the challenges of early child learning with the Bezos Family Foundation; rebranded a football team in NYC; launched a new insurance brand with a category redefining point of view and worked on nearly every new business pitch in the agency for three years.
Skills
- Strategy
- Strategy Implementation
- Business Development
- Business Growth
- Presenting
- Writing
Education
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Bachelor of Arts (BA) Oxford University
- Oxford, United Kingdom