Also known as...
Chief Executive Officer
The role in brief...
The CEO is responsible for the overall strategic direction and leadership of the agency. The CEO will work closely with the Board of Directors to develop and implement innovative strategies that drive growth and client satisfaction. This role requires a visionary leader with a deep understanding of the advertising industry, strong business acumen, excellent communication skills, and the ability to inspire and motivate a diverse team.
Working with...
- Internal: The Board of Directors and Heads of Department but mainly day to day with the rest of the C Suite roles such as Chief Financial Officer, Chief Technology Officer, Chief People Officer, Chief Growth Officer.
- External: The most senior clients such as a Global or EMEA or UK Director of Marketing; also those roles at prospective clients. If part of a group structure they would report in the Group CEO and/or the holding company’s most senior ranks. They would liaise with senior people at member trade bodies and with other CEOs at industry councils, panels and events.
Responsible for:
- The agency’s long-term vision and being able to explain why this is the vision, the steps up to it, where the agency is at any point in the plan, and how everyone needs to contribute
- The short and long term business goals, expressed in clear language with metrics (such as ‘Win three new SEO projects from hotel sector worth in total £500,000 in revenue, a yoy increase of 20%); and the goal’s relationship to the vision.
- Ensure the agency's brand is strong, consistent, and aligned with its values and market positioning.
- Oversight and understanding of the agency’s financial position, particularly profit
- Setting the ultimate good example, for example doing what they said they would, having an appraisal, remaining calm and not saying ‘my assets go up and down in the lifts’ and then chewing out a junior person for something small because they are stressed.
- Continuously building on good client relations at the highest levels, for example hosting an AI training session to which senior clients are invited. They have strategies to retain clients, it is not haphazard.
- Being the public face of the agency and obtaining as much good PR and social profile as they can, for example for a diversity or sustainability initiative, a new or organic business win, a partnership, an award, an accreditation such as B Corp or for Effectiveness.
- Maintaining good relationships with key media/thought leaders, for example Campaign, Marketing Week
- Always looking out for senior talent they would like to recruit, regularly discussing talent strategy with the Chief People Officer
- Mentoring selected senior people within the agency
- Heading up the biggest pitches
Those who succeed are...
- Very clear about the vision, able to explain it in simple terms
- Very clear about the business goals, which they keep updated and which are communicated regularly to all agency
- Able to display commercial acumen
- Excellent communicators both with small and large groups, persuasive
- Adaptable, resilient and innovative in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
- Able to take decisions very fast, after actively listening to the viewpoints of other senior employees
- Able to inspire and motivate large groups, including the entire agency workforce
Where they come from, and where they go…
Usually, the CEO comes from a client service background, and may previously (depending on the size of the agency) have been an MD, or founder of another smaller agency. Their experience in other senior executive positions within the advertising or marketing industry would be a given as would in-depth knowledge of corporate governance and general management best practices. The may have been at the agency a long time and been invested in via, for example, a mini business MBA, an executive coach, leadership skills/knowledge/behaviour training.
They may go onto a CEO role at a bigger agency, at a Group level or multi country such as EMEA.