London, United Kingdom – Global media network PHD has announced that former regional head of strategy and planning for APAC Chris Stephenson has been promoted to the role of global chief marketing officer. He will be replacing Avril Canavan, who steps down from the role after 11 years of handling it.
He will report directly to Philippa Brown, Worldwide CEO at PHD, and be responsible for the strategic direction of the network’s external and internal marketing, aligned to business development goals.
His leadership will include amplifying PHD’s ‘Make the Leap’ positioning across its network of 107 offices in 74 countries – a call to action and reference to how the agency prioritizes creativity to drive disproportionate growth for their clients, backed by its proprietary planning platform Omni Studio.
Stephenson first joined the network in the United Kingdom in 2003 before moving to Australia to launch PHD Sydney in 2009. He was promoted to head of strategy and planning for APAC out of Singapore in 2015 and has become a regular and respected commentator on the communications industry.
As an industry thought-leader, Stephenson has co-written multiple books on the future of the media industry, including PHD’s latest publication, ‘Shift | A Marketing Rethink’, which explains how marketers can stay ahead of change and stop just responding to it.
Commenting on his appointment, Stephenson said, “I can’t wait to get started in this new role at such an exciting time for PHD, and at such a pivotal moment for our industry. For the last two decades I’ve been fortunate to work with brands to engage their audiences in positive, constructive, and innovative ways. Now, powered by our ‘Make the Leap’ philosophy, I couldn’t be more excited to be working with our network around the world to do that for PHD.”
Meanwhile, Brown commented that Stephenson is a talented marketer who understands the PHD brand proposition, product and platforms better than anyone. She added that in addition to having solid client experience and a deep understanding of their proprietary systems like Omni and Omni Studio, he has co-authored and promoted PHD’s thought leadership over the years, presenting it on industry platforms across APAC.
“He is known as a truly creative thinker and, as Worldwide Chief Marketing Officer, will be instrumental in showcasing how PHD’s strategic, creative thinking can help brands make the leap ahead of their competitors,” Brown stated.
Mark Holden, worldwide chief strategy officer at PHD, commented, “I’ve worked with Chris for a long time, and he’s a great addition to the Worldwide leadership team, not only because of his credentials as a creative and visionary leader, but because of his infectious energy. He will no doubt build on the great foundations already laid and help our markets around the world take their agency marketing to the next level.”