The IPA has named Nichola Elgie, Senior Account Director at Drummond Central, as the new IPA City Head for Newcastle & North East. Nichola succeeds Cravens’ Lauren Thacker in the role.
As City Head, Nichola will serve as a figurehead and voice for the industry in Newcastle & the North East, championing the outstanding talent in the advertising community and driving collaboration, thought leadership and engagement. She will also work closely with other IPA City Heads and Chair for England & Wales, James Ray, who announced his agenda to champion, celebrate and support world-beating creativity in the UK regional advertising & marketing industry at the England & Wales Members’ Reception in Manchester last night.
Says Nichola Elgie, Senior Account Director and board member at Drummond Central and IPA City Head for Newcastle & North East: “While Drummond Central partners with clients across the world, our roots remain firmly in the North East. Our incredibly talented people come from all over the UK and the world, and are what makes our agency and our work world-class. This holds true for the immense pool of creative, planning, and account handling talent found in agencies throughout the entire UK.
As someone who started my career as a budding, and often over-keen, Account Executive, I’m incredibly passionate about supporting Karen Martin’s agenda to champion human creativity from every part of the UK, but most importantly in my new role as IPA City Head for the North East.
"Our industry thrives on bringing in new talent with fresh thinking and what’s really exciting about now, and the years ahead, is that we’re seeing incredible talent becoming less concentrated in the capital. This shift is vital, and with the collective dedication of us City Heads, I'm confident we can keep this positive trend moving forward."
Commenting on the appointment, IPA Director of Membership Tom Mott says: “I am delighted to welcome Nichola as our new City Head for Newcastle & North East. Our members are at the heart of everything we do, and I’m excited to work with Nichola to see how we can grow and best serve the thriving agency community around Newcastle and the North East.”
Nichola Elgie biography:
Nichola, named North East Marketer of the Year in 2021, is a Senior Account Director and Board Member at Drummond Central. This recognition stems from her impactful work with clients like Greggs, Prime Video, and KitKat. At Drummond Central, Nichola is instrumental in leading her team to deliver world-class, fame-driving work for both clients and the agency.
Her leadership has driven highly successful projects and client relationships, including the award-winning Greggs and PlayStation collaboration, lauded by GQ as the "coolest thing of the week" and a multiple award winner. Nichola also played a crucial role in the team behind the region's impactful Covid 'Thank You North East' campaign.
Over the past year, Nichola has been a leading force behind Drummond Central’s CPD Gold Accreditation, set up an internal team to better understand and explore all things AI, and played a key role across the agency in building and growing great client partnerships.
A proud North East native and seasoned marketeer, Nichola is a strong advocate for developing regional talent and passionately believes local agencies can and absolutely do produce world-class work.
Last updated 22 May 2025