Meet Leanne Tarvin: KODE’s Secret Weapon
There’s an unmistakable energy that comes with Leanne. If she were a colour she’d probably be yellow. She’s bright and sunny and brimming with hunger for the job she does. From the leafy streets of South West London, where she grew up listening to the tales of her ever-animated grandmother, to the hectic industry she’s ended up in, her journey has been anything but ordinary. With a decade of experience under her belt, it has all culminated in her being welcomed to the top table at KODE as new business director.
A firm lover of the arts, a younger Leanne always dreamt of becoming a TV presenter. After treading the boards at drama college, she tried her hand at stand-up; “I had a couple of laughs and one clap. I’ll cherish that moment forever.” Her innate zest for life coupled with a genuine interest in people and what makes them tick, laid the foundation for her pursuit in the creative world.
From Cups of Tea to Top Tier
Advertising however, wasn’t originally in the plan. The initiation came in the form of an introduction by a family friend that led her to CrowTV working in post-production. Beginning as a runner, she quickly climbed the ranks. “After ensuring I could make the most banging cup of tea, and offering to do the night shift for free after working a 10 hour shift, I was offered the full time position.” She remembered how buzzed she felt at that moment. What followed was a three year stint mastering the intricacies of long and short form post-production, embracing each role with a gusto typical of her.
Moving on, she joined The&Partnership, a stint that added another layer to her expertise. Here, she ran the post-production department and got stuck into the world of CGI and animation; all whilst rubbing shoulders with the industry’s best. “I always admired how everyone worked so hard to keep the cogs turning, always delivering incredible work, but still managing to be in the Duke of York by 1pm on a Thursday,” she reminisces. It’s true that places store memories, and nowhere could epitomise that more for Leanne than Soho. It was there, running around sound studios, hitting parties and sucking in as much culture as possible, that she realised she’d found her groove: “I knew advertising was the home for my career, and I craved more.”
It’s funny that the place where she found a home in advertising would also be the place she’d meet the folks at KODE for the first time. “They came in to showcase work at the Agency in 2014 and we hit it off straight away,” says Leanne. They became friends soon after, but she describes knowing there and then that she wanted to work with them, “It was just a case of when.” Little did she know it would end up defining a significant chapter in her career. In the interim, she was snapped up by Adam&EveDDB where she worked on, “some of the best accounts in the world”.
More Layers Than an Onion
When Leanne joined KODE to work in new business, the timing wasn’t exactly serendipitous. A week later, lockdown hit, leaving her with no choice but to email agency folk asking for a “Zoom coffee”. It was a baptism of fire but meant she could spend time learning how the roster worked, understand strategy and witnessing just how driven the team around her was. “The pandemic was horrible, but the timing helped me settle in and learn fast,” she explains. Curiously enough, it was during this time that she also wrote a children's book. What began as a passion project for her nephew ended up getting picked up by a publisher; “It’s madness. I got a C in English at school, and now my book is in Waterstones, baby!”
It isn’t lost on Leanne that opportunities within the industry are often scarce. She recalls catching her first break in the form of an internship set up by a family friend, ‘Steve’ - she jokes that she still owes him a pint. She may not have repaid him with a Guinness, but she’s done so in other ways. That is, in ensuring she pays it forward. From mentoring at Brixton finishing school to creating workshops - she’s intent on helping the talents of young people where they might otherwise be overlooked.
Carving Tomorrow’s Stories
When Leanne speaks about KODE she does so with a fervour that feels infectious. “It’s been so exciting for me to see the growth and evolution at KODE and the roster. It’s always been forward thinking, breaking boundaries and taking risks - I absolutely love that.” What motivates her most is knowing how diverse and inclusive their roster of talent is. “The current roster is an absolute powerhouse full of special talent. Great work breeds great work, so bring it on!” she beams.
Whilst developing new relationships is a given, Leanne also believes in the importance of fostering the relationships that already exist. Whilst working with agencies she’s also building direct relationships in London, Amsterdam and across Europe. “I’ve been travelling to Amsterdam every few months and have great connections with extremely exciting agencies and brands which I hope to continue to elevate,” she says.
More than anything, Leanne looks forward to being part of the leadership team where she can give a woman’s perspective and voice to everything the company does. “KODE has made huge progress prioritising equality and inclusivity, and I have a responsibility to push that even further and make more of a positive change.”
KODE has a reputation of doing the absolute best work within the industry. Giving Leanne a seat at the table seems to be the natural next step in ensuring their team is unstoppable, and capable of taking on everything industry-defining that comes their way. Leanne describes her grandparents as her best friends. Nothing gives her more joy than listening to her grandmother's stories; the ones that go on for hours. It seems to me that in years to come, when decades have passed, Leanne too, will have plenty of stories to fill her own grandchildrens ears with - I bet they’ll be in for a treat.
