James O'Brien Joins the Code and Theory Network as First Global Chief Marketing Officer

The Code and Theory Network has expanded its talent, expertise and scale. To enable businesses to leverage the full might of the network, Code and Theory has tapped James O'Brien as its first global chief marketing officer. The appointment is the latest move in the network's ambitious growth strategy and continued evolution as the premier global digital transformation partner.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

With more than 25 years as a successful tech leader, business owner and marketer, James has experienced all aspects of a client's needs.

Recognising the Code and Theory Network’s unique ability to meet those needs, James will drive a new era of strategic growth and global impact. What sets Code and Theory apart is a network uniquely constructed with 50% engineers and 50% creatives, designed to solve the most complex challenges facing global businesses. In an era where AI, emerging technologies and human creativity are constantly reshaping landscapes, this balance is essential.

James came aboard after five years with Thinkingbox, where he was a partner leading strategic sales and business development, customer experience strategy and digital transformation. He worked with prominent clients, including Zillow, American Express, Intuit, Starbucks and Discord. James's entrepreneurial journey spans multiple successful ventures, including founding Aarra and co-founding Welikesmall, which were acquired by Thinkingbox in 2019. 

In his new role, James will spearhead the Code and Theory Network's business marketing initiatives, leveraging his expertise to drive opportunity for the agency network and its clients. The Code and Theory Network includes Code and Theory, Kettle, Instrument, Left Field Labs, Truelogic, Rhythm, Mediacurrent and the recently acquired Create. Group.

James’s appointment is part of Code and Theory's ongoing commitment to bringing top global talent to serve its diverse clientele. Recent hires include:

• Cory Haldeman as the agency's first chief transformation officer (formerly Adobe)
• Raj Bhatia as global chief technology officer (formerly of Deloitte Digital)
• Craig Elimeliah as chief creative officer (formerly of VML and /prompt)
• Julia LaRose (formerly of Accenture) and Christine Clark (formerly of Thinkingbox) as co-heads of production

These appointments accompanied a year of exceptional digital transformation success for Code and Theory, which was named Ad Age's Business Transformation Agency of the Year, Digiday's Most Innovative Agency and ANA's B2B Agency of the Year. 

Code and Theory Co-founder Dan Gardner says, "It’s becoming more clear to the market that labeling anything ‘digital’ is not enough. It requires not only a rigor of engineering sophistication but also creativity and use cases on how to apply this technology in differentiated and effective ways.”

James says, "In an era where AI, emerging technologies and human creativity are reshaping business landscapes, the Code and Theory Network's unique creative-engineering equilibrium allows us to deliver solutions that drive real business transformation, not just digital evolution. We're not just discussing the future - we're pioneering innovative solutions that drive meaningful business impact for our clients. There is no other offering in the marketplace that will allow clients to create the innovation necessary for growth like the Code and Theory Network.