Iris Worldwide Appoints Leigh Armstrong as EVP Global Growth and Marketing Director
Iris Worldwide, the global creative network, today announced the appointment of Leigh Armstrong as EVP global growth and marketing director, further strengthening its leadership team following a series of senior appointments, including Eduardo Maruri, the multi-award-winning former president and CEO of Grey Europe, who became global creative chair of Iris Worldwide in June.
Leigh joins from Cheil and CheilConnec+, where she was director of new business development. With a background spanning major networks such as WPP’s JWT, Omnicom’s TBWA, Vivendi’s Havas and Publicis’ Leo Burnett, Leigh brings with her a wealth of experience in both new business and global client leadership roles across the UK, Europe, Canada, and the US, with an award-winning track record of success in integrated, design, and pharma sectors.
In her new role, she will be responsible for developing growth strategies that align with Iris’ creative ambitions, working hand-in-hand with leadership to push boundaries and unlock new opportunities. Leigh will work closely with Iris’ creative and strategic teams to advance the agency’s promise of delivering growth for brands further and faster, through creativity, data-driven media, and the power of people to create cultural moments and embed brands in people's lives.
Reporting to the recently promoted CEO of Iris Americas, Jill Smith, Leigh will lead the global growth team, spearheading initiatives across multiple markets. Her remit is to strengthen Iris’ creative position amongst clients who seek to do things differently and work closely with global leads to facilitate growth ambitions across the network.
“Iris has long been known for its ability to go beyond traditional advertising to spark meaningful participation between brands, communities and consumers, and Leigh’s appointment marks a pivotal moment in our journey to deepen this narrative,” said Jill Smith, CEO of Iris Americas. “Her experience across independent agencies and major networks, combined with her global perspective, will play a key role in shaping our growth strategy and broadening our creative impact.”
“Iris has a bold vision for the future, and I’m excited to be part of an agency that continues to challenge the status quo,” said Leigh. “I look forward to working with the talented teams across the entire network to drive growth and help our clients achieve their ambitious goals.”
Leigh’s appointment follows a period of significant growth for Iris, marked by a raft of new business wins that have included Scout Electric Vehicles (VW), Fage Total Greek Yogurts, and the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP).
Leigh’s appointment follows a series of significant leadership announcements at Iris this year. In June, Jill Smith was promoted to CEO of Iris Americas, Andrew Silver joined from Huge as managing director of the Boston office and head of the CRM, Data & Technology practice, and most notably, Eduardo Maruri, former president and CEO of Grey Europe, was appointed as global creative chair of Iris Worldwide
This follows a series of leadership hires across Iris' global micro-network, including the recent appointments of Accenture Song’s Zoe Eagle as CEO of Iris London and House337’s Katy Hopkins as executive creative director of Iris London. Earlier this year, Benita Meswania was named global chief people officer, Andrea Basserman was appointed managing director of Iris Germany, Elisha Pearce was promoted to MD of growth and marketing, and Marie Little was appointed managing director of Health at Iris.
Ian Millner, co-founder and chair, Iris Worldwide commented, “We need bright, passionate, and radical people to help us break out of the industry’s doom, zoom, and gloom-led race to the bottom. Leigh is someone that clients will like and feel motivated by, and she’ll also help us really focus on the potential in the Americas while joining the dots across the network. Being able to work seamlessly with our Cheil colleagues is also an enormous advantage.”
