IPG Vet Jim Elms Joins Barkley as CEO of FutureCast

Effective immediately, Barkley has named Jim Elms as CEO of its FutureCast consulting business where he will oversee the firm’s focus on Millennial and Gen Z research and lead media consulting services. In his prior role, Elms was Managing Director of IPG where he most recently was one of the senior-most leaders on the executive team that led IPG’s successful Amazon pitch. Prior to this, Elms was Global CEO of Initiative Media and Head of Global Strategy at UM.

“We are excited to welcome Jim back to Barkley. As an independent agency, we have invested heavily in understanding modern consumers, and we are fixated on how brands connect to people through shared interests and contexts. Jim has built his career around those ideas,” said Jeff King, CEO at Barkley.

Elms will carry two titles at Barkley. As Chief Engagement Officer, he will bring enhanced scale, data capabilities and creativity to the company's media consultancy.

As CEO of FutureCast, he will combine the company's existing generational research with his deep expertise around modern communications planning and emerging technology to create products that help brands connect with modern consumers. In this capacity, Elms is also developing a media capability to provide independent media consultation to large clients and creative agencies.

"FutureCast made its mark with groundbreaking insights around Millennials and Gen Z that help clients become smarter about their future,” said Elms. “We will now evolve FutureCast into a living lab of communications through emerging technologies. And, of course, we will continue to build on our leadership position with more generational research and insights.”

Based on Jim's five-year relationship with Amazon, the expanded practice will focus on creating strategies to master Amazon’s ecosystem and the impact it has on marketers.

The “living lab” approach is meant literally, as well. “All work and learnings through FutureCast will bounce back and affect all of our brand work at Barkley,” said Elms. “In my dual role, I will be on the front line of what’s next in communication strategy, feeding our experiments and prototypes to our core teams on a daily basis. As CEO of FutureCast and Chief Engagement Officer, I can deliver on a one-two punch that will really bring the model of disruptive and sustaining innovation together in very real and tangible ways."

One of FutureCast’s first clients is IPG, which has engaged FutureCast to work alongside the company on key projects related to its global Amazon business. Commented Philippe Krakowsky, Interpublic's Chief Strategy and Talent Officer and Chairman and CEO of IPG Mediabrands, "Pushing the boundaries on the future of communications strategy has always been one of Jim’s passions. We’re excited to see where that journey takes him and to continue our working relationship with Jim through the partnership between FutureCast and IPG.”

The role marks a return to Barkley for Elms, who spent three years at the independent agency from 2005 - 2007. He’s also a veteran of Grey, GS&P and W+K. 

“I always knew I’d return to Barkley,” Elms said. “Barkley is all about talent and providing people with the opportunity to grow and invent. Barkley is not afraid to take chances and push the boundaries of ideas and business every single day, which is exactly why I wanted to return.”