Leo Burnett UK has promoted Mark Elwood to lead the its creative department as chief creative officer, succeeding Chaka Sobhani, who will be leaving the agency to take up the same role at DDB Worldwide.
Since joining the agency in June 2020, Elwood has been credited with rebooting Leo Burnett’s creative team, bringing in new talent and leading the business to win multiple creative awards.
Elwood has overseen creative work across all Leo Burnett’s clients, including McDonald’s, Morrisons, Kellogg’s, AXA, Premier Inn and TUI. In 2023, the agency has been recognised at all the major shows, including picking up four Cannes Lions and the Marketing Society Grand Prix.
Elwood said: “It’s a privilege to be asked to lead the creative department at Leo Burnett. There is no better creative agency in the UK in my opinion and no better team across the board.”
Having started his career as an apprentice typesetter, learning the craft of typography and design from day one, he moved agency side in 1996 and joined Leo Burnett for the first time.
Elwood then held senior creative roles at JWT, Euro RSCG, AMV BBDO and Fallon London before co-founding 101 in 2011 and joining MullenLowe in October 2017, when the agency was acquired by IPG and merged into MullenLowe.
As executive creative director, he worked on award-winning campaigns for the NHS, Bupa, Bahlsen, British Heart Foundation, Dunelm, Subaru and Wagamama as well as the ‘Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives’ campaign at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, leaving to rejoin Leo Burnett in 2020.
Leo Burnett UK’s new chief executive Carly Avener said: “Mark is an incredible talent and a progressive leader. He’s been central to Leo’s success over the past three years as we’ve grown the size, shape and flavour of the department. You can see that coming through in the quality of the work across all our clients and the strength of the talent he has attracted and nurtured.”
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