Does Mark Elwood have what it takes to exchange Chaka Sobhani?

Leo Burnett has moved shortly to exchange the departing CCO Chaka Sobhani. Mark Elwood has been promoted from ECD to CCO for the UK, and he has some very massive footwear to fill. He takes up the function instantly, regardless that Sobhani will apparently keep round for six months till she joins DDB as worldwide CCO.

Sobhani has been world in addition to UK CCO of Leo Burnett since Might 2021, and she or he might have spent most of her time travelling reasonably than knee deep in UK inventive output. It’s attainable that Elwood has been steering the company’s inventive ascent: he’s on the credit for McDonald’s “Elevate your arches,” the Morrisons Christmas advert with the singing oven gloves, and Tui’s holidaying elves.

However Sobhani can be laborious to exchange in the case of elevating the company’s profile and new enterprise presence. Publicis Groupe has now misplaced two good ladies with star energy this 12 months – UK group CEO Annette King left for Accenture Tune in April.

Leo Burnett are actually claiming that Elwood is behind the inventive reboot at Leo Burnett, saying that he has run the UK inventive division for the final three and a half years. He joined in 2020 from MullenLowe the place, as a founding father of 101, he took the inventive reins after the impartial company was acquired by IPG. He was head of artwork and artistic director at Fallon through the Cadbury “Gorilla” glory years.

Elwood mentioned: “It’s a privilege to be requested to steer the inventive division at Leo Burnett. There isn’t a higher inventive company within the UK for my part and no higher staff throughout the board.”

Carly Avener, CEO at Leo Burnett UK, mentioned: “Mark is an unimaginable expertise and a progressive chief. He’s been central to Leo’s success over the previous three years as we’ve grown the scale, form and flavour of the division. You may see that coming via within the high quality of the work throughout all our shoppers and the energy of the expertise he has attracted and nurtured.”