In-housing specialist Oliver has strengthened its senior team with the appointment of a new executive client partnership director who has been briefed to guide brands’ major marketing transformations.
Former Rapp managing director Ed Lee will join the agency with immediate effect to elevate its client services operation across the UK. He left Rapp in May.
Having held director positions at major agencies, including MullenLowe, Ogilvy and Saatchi & Saatchi, Lee will use his CX and CRM experience to help brands and their in-house agencies reach customers in an increasingly data-rich, technology-led landscape.
Lee, who will take executive responsibility for some of Oliver’s largest clients, believes that striking the right balance of people, process, and AI technology will open a whole host of new opportunities for brands to deliver better marketing to customers, faster, and for less.
This is the first in a series of hires for the agency, as it looks to bolster its success beyond what it claims has already been an impressive 2024.
Oliver UK chief executive Amina Folarin said: “During a challenging economic environment, the tendency is to chase new business and become complacent about existing clients.
“We know that it is at these times, however, that being our client’s closest partner is paramount, enabling them to take a more strategic approach to deliverables and invest in the parts of marketing that will make a real difference in the short term, and further down the line when recovery begins. Ed recognizes the importance of innovating where it makes the biggest impact for brands, both today and tomorrow.”
Lee added: “I’ve long been of the view that the most powerful creative marketing ecosystems are being built in-house. Twenty years ago, Oliver broke the mould; and today, powered by industry-leading GenAI capability, our model has never been more relevant.
“As traditional agencies struggle to navigate their own operational chaos, clients are understandably frustrated – hard fought budget is being wasted and talent remains tragically untapped. As a leader, I have always championed client-centricity, so I could not be more excited to be joining such a pioneering group that genuinely put client success at the heart of their business.”
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