BBH London Appoints Alison Hoad as UK CSO

Alison Hoad, the Vice-Chairman at RKCR/Y&R, is to join BBH as UK Chief Strategy Officer. The role will see Hoad provide strategic partnership to Ben Fennell, Chief Executive Officer, in leading the BBH UK business.

Alison will focus on driving creative quality and business growth for the group of companies that now makes up BBH in the UK. She will do this across the main agency, led by MD Adam Arnold, and for the newer BBH businesses including BBH Sport, Black Sheep Studios and BBH Live. A third of BBH’s UK revenue is now generated by these new specialisms.

Ben Fennell, BBH UK CEO, said: “This is a really important hiring for us and we are thrilled to be welcoming Alison to BBH. Her award wins and reel both show that she’s absolutely world class. Her energy, passion and strategic authority will help us to accelerate our growth, and raise creative standards across the UK group. Alison is already a black belt, now she’s going to be a black sheep.”

Alison has helped to shape the fortunes of some of the world’s most iconic brands including Nike, the BBC, Marks & Spencer and Virgin Atlantic.

She began her career at P&G where she managed two of its flagship brands - Ariel and Vidal Sassoon. After moving agency side and becoming the youngest planner to be promoted to the board at Lowe Howard-Spink, Alison went on to Head of Planning roles at Wieden+Kennedy and Lowe. In 2002 she co-founded CDD, a start-up specialising in Luxury Goods. Most recently, she has spent 11 years as Vice-Chairman at RKCR/Y&R.

Alison has helped win over 60 industry awards including the coveted IPA Effectiveness Grand Prix and Marketing Society Award for Long Term Excellence. She oversaw three successful pitch bids for the BBC and the three subsequent BAFTA wins. Alison is one of only 17 people to be in the IPA Effectiveness Hall of Fame, and one of only a handful of agency figures to be part of the Marketing Group Of Great Britain, which is typically characterised by FTSE 100 CMOs.

Alison Hoad said: “BBH has always stood for the sacred trinity of our industry - strategic rigour, creative ambition and a culture of innovation. It’s why they’re always dangerous to have on a pitch, and it’s a huge part of why I’m excited to join. What people are less aware of is just how successfully BBH has evolved. This most gifted of black sheep is more agile, more ambidextrous and more multi-skilled than ever before. When every client I know is clamouring for strong brand thinking that can impact across everything they do, the opportunities for BBH’s evolved offering, both in growth and creativity, are simply huge. Many agencies say they can do this, but what really excites me is that BBH really do.”