FCB Inferno Promotes Vicki Holgate to Chief Strategy Officer

FCB Inferno today announced that it has promoted Vicki Holgate to Chief Strategy Officer of the London agency.

Holgate was most recently Executive Planning Director at FCB Inferno, which she joined in 2012. With the new appointment, she joins a management team led by agency CEO Frazer Gibney, Founding Partner Tim Doust and Co-Chief Creative Officers Al Young and Owen Lee. She reports to Gibney.

“This job was made for Vicki. Since joining FCB Inferno, she has served as a strong strategic force, helping to guide, inspire and lead us in creating ‘Never Finished’ ideas that deliver business results and create meaningful, impactful change for clients, consumers and the world at large,” said Gibney.

He added: “Vicki has the gravitas and brains most of us only dream of having. She approaches planning with a combination of diligence and flair, and consistently makes leaps and breakthroughs on a diverse set of brand and communications challenges.”

At FCB Inferno, Holgate served as the lead strategist behind the 'This Girl Can' campaign for Sport England (the UK government agency for grassroots sport) that has been honoured with more than 50 industry awards – including a Cannes Glass Lion for equality and a Cannes Lions Health Grand Prix. It has also been credited with getting more than 2.1 million women to be more active.

“I’m deeply honoured to take on the role of CSO,” said Holgate. “The agency is at a very exciting time in its growth, with an impressive integrated offering and a fast-growing reputation as an agency that really is a force for good. We have done great work across the board, and I believe there is still so much unfulfilled potential at FCB Inferno. I am keen to push the work and our agenda to prove the commercial effectiveness of world-class creativity.”

Holgate joined FCB Inferno as joint Head of Strategy in 2012 and was promoted to Executive Planning Director in 2016. Before FCB Inferno, she spent 12 years at DDB London, rising to Deputy Head of Planning. Named a “Top 10 Planner” by Campaign UK in 2015, Holgate is the only individual to win the APG Creative Planning Awards, one of the highest accolades for strategic excellence – twice.

A graduate of Cambridge University, she began her career as an account executive at JWT London and later worked in the strategy departments of Grey London and Bates Communications.

She succeeds Giles Hedger, who most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer and is leaving for a new post.