Ogilvy hires ex-Sky chief as head of marketing science

Ogilvy UK has appointed its first head of marketing science for UK and EMEA to drive the fusion of data and technology into the WPP agency’s creativity.

Former Sky loyalty chief Rob Chandler has taken up the role, with a brief to ensure that data is at the heart of the agency’s proposition to maximise audience engagement and emotional connection with brands.

Ogilvy says that as marketers seek to authentically engage with customers across channels to make their budgets and ideas even more effective, creating and measuring impact has never been more vital.

Having started his career in publishing at Direct Response magazine, Chandler spent the next 15 years in data roles at Brann, Publicis, Zenith and BMF Advertising before going freelance.

In 2017 he became head of customer loyalty at Sky, a post he held for nearly four years. Chandler joins Ogilvy from digital privacy specialist Avast, where he was director of customer value propositions.

He will report into Ogilvy Experience chief executive EMEA Clare Lawson, who said: “We are delighted to have Rob with us. Marketing science is the pursuit of truths. From truthful insights that fuel our creativity to truthful analysis of the impact of the work we create. Rob’s vision to embed this thinking across our entire business is infectious, and we are already feeling the positive impact of having marketing science at our core.”

Chandler added: “The fusion of creativity, technology and data is a powerful combination. When the unstoppable forces of art and science collide, we see entirely new levels of insight, loyalty, and engagement. Data is everything, everywhere, constantly. If you want impact. If you want engagement. If you want loyalty. Whatever the client problem, the solution is creativity and data.”