In-housing specialist Oliver has appointed its first group executive creative director as part of a strategy to strengthen its global creative leadership.
Tom Skinner joins from TikTok and brings more than two decades of creative leadership experience spanning advertising, digital, social and innovation.
He has spent the past six years helping some of the world’s biggest brands rethink how they connect with audiences in an increasingly social-first world. Initially joining as European executive creative director for TikTok Creative Lab, Skinner later became global ECD.
During his time at TikTok, Skinner helped pioneer some of the platform’s most ambitious brand partnerships and cultural moments, developing award-winning work for Off-White, BMW, Gucci and Samsung, among others.
More recently, he oversaw TikTok’s Global Business Marketing function, helping brands connect with major cultural events, including the Women’s World Cup and Olympic Games, while contributing to the development of new products and AI-powered tools.
Prior to TikTok, Skinner held senior creative leadership roles at agencies including BBH and CHI & Partners (T&P), leading work for brands including Samsung, British Airways and Tesco Bank.
Throughout his career, he has earned more than 70 industry awards, including Cannes Lions and Creative Circle Awards. Beyond his industry experience, he has written children’s books and co-directed music videos.
In the newly created role, Skinner will be based in London, reporting to global chief creative officer Rodrigo Sobral, and working across Oliver’s global client portfolio.
He will focus on helping clients navigate the evolving relationship between brands, communities and culture, working closely with global client teams to develop effective creative solutions that are native to the platforms and audiences they serve, while exploring how emerging AI capabilities can unlock new creative possibilities. Skinner will also serve as creative leader for Unilever’s U-Studio, as well as overseeing other flagship clients.
The appointment also marks the introduction of a new creative leadership structure at Oliver. Skinner joins Eloise Smith, who will also move into the role of group ECD, as part of a strengthened creative leadership team designed to support the agency’s growing global client portfolio and evolving creative offering.
The move comes as Oliver and The Brandtech Group continue to evolve their “AI Inside” proposition, combining creativity and AI to deliver marketing that helps clients stay one step ahead in a rapidly changing marketing landscape.
Built on the belief that people care about stories rather than systems, AI Inside combines technology, talent and intelligence to create new possibilities for brands, while keeping human judgement, creativity and craft at the centre of the process.
Rodrigo Sobral said: “Tom combines world-class brand-building experience with a deep understanding of how culture is created and shared today.
“As we continue to evolve our GenAI creative offering, Tom’s experience and perspective will be invaluable. He joins us at a moment when clients are looking to combine world-class brand building, social-first creativity and the latest AI-powered storytelling capabilities, and Tom’s background makes him uniquely placed to enable that.”
Skinner added: “What attracted me to Oliver is the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most ambitious clients and help them build brands through social-first, creator-led ideas that feel relevant, authentic and meaningful for modern audiences.
“During my time at TikTok, I saw first-hand how social, creators and communities have transformed the way brands connect with people. The most successful brands and agencies are increasingly combining agile, collaborative creativity with creator partnerships, community-driven thinking and AI-enabled ways of working. Oliver and The Brandtech Group have been leading that shift, but they never lose sight of the importance of great ideas, creativity and craft.
“I’m excited to join a team that shares my belief that great creativity can happen anywhere, across any platform, and that the most effective ideas are often the ones that genuinely earn a place in people’s lives. I can’t wait to help create stronger connections between brands, creators, communities and customers.”
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