The Drum Adverati
Welcome to The Drum’s inaugural Adverati, where we celebrate the 100 most influential people in UK advertising, shining the spotlight on business leaders and creative thinkers who make this industry such a vibrant and special sector.
The UK hosts truly talented advertising professionals, and here we feature those who we and our readers believe to be the cream of the crop.
From a list of several hundred of the most eminent individuals of the UK ad scene, as suggested by our editorial panel and the industry-at-large, we handed over to readers of thedrum.com to decide who they thought were the 100 practitioners making the biggest contribution to our industry and most deserving of a spot in the Adverati.
| Rank | Name | Job Title | Company / Organisation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 |
Rory Sutherland | vice-chairman | Ogilvy & Mather Group UK |
| 2 |
 |
Camilla Harrisson | CEO | Anomaly |
| 3 |
 |
Chris Hirst | European and UK group CEO | Grey London |
| 4 |
 |
Trevor Robinson | Founder and ECD | Quiet Storm |
| 5 |
 |
Cilla Snowball | chairman and group CEO | AMV BBDO |
| 6 |
 |
John Hegarty | founder and worldwide creative director | BBH |
| 7 |
 |
Sir Martin Sorrell | founder and CEO | WPP |
| 8 |
 |
Moray MacLennan | worldwide CEO | M&C Saatchi |
| 9 |
 |
Mel Edwards | CEO | Wunderman |
| 10 |
 |
Leigh Thomas | CEO | Dare |
| 11 |
 |
Russell Ramsey | executive creative director | JWT |
| 12 |
 |
Rosie Bardales | executive creative director and partner | BETC London |
| 13 |
 |
Nils Leonard | chief creative officer | Grey London |
| 14 |
 |
Gerry Human | chief creative officer | Ogilvy & Mather London |
| 15 |
 |
Russ Lidstone | CEO | Havas Worldwide London |
| 16 |
 |
Emma de la Fosse | joint chief creative officer | OgilvyOne Worldwide |
| 16 |
 |
Charlie Wilson | joint chief creative officer | OgilvyOne Worldwide |
| 17 |
 |
Justin Tindall | group executive creative director | Leo Burnett |
| 18 |
 |
Neil Christie | managing director | Wieden+Kennedy |
| 19 |
 |
Annette King | CEO | Ogilvy & Mather Group UK |
| 20 |
 |
Ian Millner | co-founder and joint global CEO | Iris |
| 21 |
 |
Angus Macadam | executive creative director | mcgarrybowen |
| 22 |
 |
Karen Buchanan | CEO | Publicis London |
| 23 |
 |
George Bryant | founding partner | Brooklyn Brothers |
| 24 |
 |
Andy Bird | ECD | Publicis London |
| 25 |
 |
Paul Lawson | CEO | Leo Burnett |
| 26 |
 |
Flo Heiss | creative partner | Dare |
| 27 |
 |
Simon Poett | ECD | Tribal Worldwide London |
| 28 |
 |
Andy Sandoz | creative partner | Havas Work Club |
| 29 |
 |
Dave Henderson | joint ECD | DLKW Lowe |
| 29 |
 |
Richard Denney | joint ECD | DLKW Lowe |
| 30 |
 |
Rob Morrice | CEO | Stein IAS |
| 31 |
 |
David Gamble | founder and creative director | Hometown |
| 32 |
 |
Robert Senior | CEO | Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon Group |
| 33 |
 |
Mick Mahoney | Creative partner | |
| 34 |
 |
Alan Young | executive creative director | St Luke's |
| 35 |
 |
Matt Pye | COO | Cheil Worldwide |
| 36 |
 |
Kate Stanners | creative partner | Saatchi & Saatchi |
| 37 |
 |
Paul Bainsfair | director general | IPA |
| 38 |
 |
Rick Hirst | CEO | McGarry Bowen London |
| 39 |
 |
Jason Goodman | CEO & founder | Albion |
| 40 |
 |
Kate Cox | agency CEO | Bray Leino |
| 41 |
 |
Tim Doust | founding partner | FCB Inferno |
| 42 |
 |
Paul Silburn | creative officer | Saatchi & Saatchi |
| 43 |
 |
Mike Curtis | Group CEO | StartJG |
| 44 |
 |
Peter Souter | chairman | TBWA |
| 45 |
 |
Alistair Ross | creative partner | The Gate London |
| 46 |
 |
Tom Poynter | group MD | Southpaw |
| 47 |
 |
Mark Denton Esquire | creative director | Coy! Communications |
| 48 |
 |
Nicolas Roope | creative partner | Poke |
| 49 |
 |
Nicky Bullard | executive creative director | LIDA |
| 50 |
 |
Ben Priest | co-founder and executive creative director | Adam&EveDDB |
| 51 |
 |
Tony Davidson | executive creative director | Wieden+Kennedy |
| 52 |
 |
Patrick Collister | head of design | |
| 53 |
 |
Chris Clarke | international chief creative officer | DigitasLBi |
| 54 |
 |
Martin Semmens | founding partner | Elvis |
| 55 |
 |
Simon Labbett | founder and creative director | Hometown |
| 56 |
 |
Dylan Bogg | CEO and ECD | Big Communications |
| 57 |
 |
Trevor Beattie | founding partner | BMB |
| 58 |
 |
Tiger Savage | brand consultant | Tiger’s Eye |
| 59 |
 |
Caitlin Ryan | group executive creative director | Karmarama |
| 60 |
 |
Luke Mugliston | CEO | The Gate London |
| 61 |
 |
Santiago Lucero | executive creative director | Fallon |
| 62 |
 |
Tom Roberts | managing director | Tribal Worldwide London |
| 63 |
 |
Paul Brazier | chief creative officer and chairman | AMV BBDO |
| 64 |
 |
Fergus McCallum | CEO | TBWA\Manchester |
| 65 |
 |
Nick Gill | executive creative director | BBH |
| 66 |
 |
Ian Priest | COO | CSM |
| 67 |
 |
Robert Saville | creative partner | Mother London |
| 68 |
 |
Jonathan Trimble | CEO | 18 Feet & Rising |
| 69 |
 |
Mike Phillipson | CEO | Cogent |
| 70 |
 |
Matt Gooden | executive creative director | Crispin Porter + Bogusky |
| 71 |
 |
Kate Howe | executive director | MSQ Partners |
| 72 |
 |
Rosie Arnold | managing partner creative director | BBH |
| 73 |
 |
Ben Tollett | joint executive creative director | Adam&EveDDB |
| 73 |
 |
Emer Stamp | joint executive creative director | Adam&EveDDB |
| 74 |
 |
Debbie Klein | UK CEO | Engine |
| 75 |
 |
Robin Wight | president | Engine & WCRS |
| 76 |
 |
Al Young | chief creative officer | St Luke's |
| 77 |
 |
Sue Little | CEO | McCann Manchester |
| 78 |
 |
Nicky Unsworth | CEO | THE BJL GROUP |
| 79 |
 |
Ian Pearman | CEO | AMV BBDO |
| 80 |
 |
Mark Waites | co-founder | Mother London |
| 81 |
 |
Kevin Dundas | CEO Europe | Droga5 |
| 82 |
 |
Johnny Hornby | founder | The & Partnership |
| 83 |
 |
Adrian Coleman | group CEO and founding partner | VCCP |
| 84 |
 |
Bil Bungay | founding partner | BMB |
| 85 |
 |
Ben Walker | executive creative director | Crispin Porter + Bogusky |
| 86 |
 |
Dean Lovett | CEO | McCann Erickson |
| 87 |
 |
Andrew Stirk | CEO | BETC London |
| 88 |
 |
Tim Lefroy | CEO | Advertising Association |
| 89 |
 |
Nick Howarth | CEO | CHI & Partners |
| 90 |
 |
Peter Scott | vice-chairman and head of global strategy | Engine |
| 91 |
 |
Andy Fowler | founder and executive creative director | Brothers and Sisters |
| 92 |
 |
Charles Vallance | founding partner | VCCP |
| 93 |
 |
Jon Williams | executive creative director and chief digital officer | Grey EMEA |
| 94 |
 |
Julian Vizard | creative partner | St Luke's |
| 95 |
 |
Matthew Charlton | CEO | Brothers and Sisters |
| 96 |
 |
Richard Marsham | group managing partner | The Leith Agency |
| 97 |
 |
Stephen Maher | CEO | MBA |
| 98 |
 |
Robert Doubal | co-president and CCO | McCann |
| 98 |
 |
Laurence Thomson | co-president and CCO | McCann |
| 99 |
 |
Matt Edwards | CEO | WCRS |
| 100 |
 |
Debra Hepburn | MD | RBH (Rees Bradley Hepburn) |
The 56-page report into the UK advertising landscape includes research into the financial health of agencies, as well as rankings for client satisfaction, peer recommendation and creative performance. It also includes features on key takeover targets, how the holding groups approach acquisitions, agency insights on industry trends and profiles on each of the 100 individuals to make it into the Adverati.