'Last man standing' Millner to leave Iris after 26 years

Iris Worldwide co-founder Ian Millner, one of the UK advertising industry’s longest-serving agency leaders, is stepping down as chair of the network after 26 years, to become a global advisor at the agency, alongside other non-exec roles.

Over the past two and a half decades, Millner – who is the last of the co-founders still at the business – helped build Iris from a start-up challenger into a $100 million-plus global agency ahead of its investment by Cheil Worldwide in 2014, and into arguably one of the industry’s most distinctive micro-networks.

Iris was co-founded in 1999 by a group of individuals, most of whom had worked at promotional marketing agency IMP London. Of the fellow co-founders, London CEO Claire Humphris left in 2024, as did global CEO Steve Bell, meanwhile, ex-global creative director Sean Reynolds left in 2016, and former non-executive chairman Stewart Shanley quit in 2020. Sam Noble, described as “The Sage” of the agency, passed away in August 2022.

Over its 25-year history, Iris Worldwide has been a launchpad and home for many high-profile figures in the business, including creative chiefs Shaun McIlrath, Grant Hunter, David Prideaux and Chris Baylis.

However, it was not all plain sailing. Back in 2011, Millner admitted that a £10m interest free loan the agency secured from Bank of Scotland sparked a spending spree that nearly brought the business to its knees.

In an interview with Real Business, Millner said of the loan – the result of winning Bank of Scotland Corporate Entrepreneur Challenge: “We didn’t need the money but we started to act like we did. We became lavish. We lost sight of everything we’d learned and went on a spending spree.”

However, he said the agency learned the hard way: “We’ve grown up and we’ve gone back to what we do best. Whatever you do, don’t make growth your one and only master. You’ll end up making stupid mistakes.”

Working for clients including Samsung, Beam Suntory, Brita, Bentley and Beiersdorf, the agency now operates across 11 offices worldwide with more than 650 people.

The transition follows a period of leadership changes at Iris, including the appointment of Zoe Eagle as CEO of Iris London, Jill Smith as CEO of Iris Americas and Menno Kluin as global chief creative officer, alongside the continued strategic leadership of global chief strategy officer Ben Essen.

Together, the team has been driving the agency’s next phase, including the recent rebrand and positioning built around the challenge of “Participate or Perish”, designed to build on Iris’s founding belief that brands should create ideas people actively choose to engage with.

Reflecting on his time leading the agency, Millner said: “It has been an incredible journey, and I’ve had the privilege of working with truly inspiring people all over the world. Iris joined Cheil ten years ago, and it has been an enormously successful partnership. With Jill and Zoe in place, and with the revitalised proposition now in market, Iris is well positioned to continue to innovate and challenge the industry at a time when many agencies are facing an identity crisis. Playing it safe is more dangerous now than ever before.”

Millner previously hosted the podcast Entrepreneurs in the Wild, where he interviewed founders and industry leaders about building businesses and creative entrepreneurship. To mark his transition, the podcast will return for a special one-off episode featuring Millner in conversation with Rob Mayhew.

Zoe Eagle said: “Ian was one of the main reasons I joined Iris. He built the agency with an extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit and belief in creativity that continues to shape the business today. We’re hugely grateful for the culture and ambition he created over the past 26 years. As we enter the next chapter, we’re focused on building on that legacy – pushing our creative product forward and helping brands participate meaningfully in culture and people’s lives.”

Jill Smith added: “Ian has been a huge champion of my career and of so many people across Iris. Ian’s belief in creativity and entrepreneurial thinking has defined Iris since day one. That spirit remains central to the agency as we continue building momentum with clients around the world.”

The Iris brand will continue to operate within and across the Cheil network, led by Eagle, Smith, Kluin and Essen. The leadership team will continue to build on the agency’s renewed positioning and creative ambition as Iris enters its next phase of growth.