D&AD has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Rod Sobral, global chief creative officer at Oliver; Emma Follett, global co-chief creative officer at Design Bridge and Partners; and Camilla Wallander, CEO of Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm, to its Board of Trustees.
D&AD will continue to build its Trustee Board to reflect the changing needs of the creative industry. Sobral’s appointment brings the perspective of a global chief creative officer from an inside agency model, reflecting the growing influence of brand-side innovation in defining modern creative excellence. Sobral will also help steer D&AD’s approach to AI and creativity, guiding how the charity’s creative standards, craft practices and award benchmarks evolve in an AI-powered era. His focus will help ensure creatives and brands have the guidance and standards they need as the industry continues to evolve.
Follett brings deep expertise across brand, design and craft, reflecting D&AD’s commitment to championing design excellence on a global stage. With more than two decades shaping the creative output of Design Bridge and Partners, she offers invaluable insight into the future of brand design, storytelling and visual identity. She is a strong supporter of D&AD’s New Blood programme and has been a coach and mentor for the D&AD New Blood Academy, as well as a Judge on the New Blood Awards.
Camilla Wallander is CEO of Berghs School of Communication, a globally recognised school for creativity, communication and innovation. She brings a future-focused, education-led perspective to the D&AD Board, rooted in close collaboration with industry. Her work centres on developing creative talent, evolving skills and strengthening long-term creative capability for brands and agencies navigating rapid change.
Sobral, Follett and Wallander join an exceptional roster of Trustees, including recent additions, Ravi Amaratunga Hitchcock, co-founder of Soursop, and Priya Prakash, founder & chief technology officer, Design for Social Change (D4SC).
Tim Lindsay, D&AD Chairman, stated, “We’re delighted to welcome Rod, Emma and Camilla to the D&AD Board of Trustees. They’re all hugely respected, senior practitioners who will bring deep experience and accrued wisdom to our deliberations, as we continue to celebrate, stimulate and enable excellence in commercial creativity, usher in the next generation of talent and position D&AD to serve what is a rapidly changing global creative community.”
Rod Sobral added, “My role at D&AD is to help make sure this new era doesn’t lose its humanity. AI should feel like a creative conspirator – an accomplice that expands craft, ambition and imagination. Not a shortcut, not a gimmick, and definitely not a replacement. If we get this right, we won’t just protect creativity, we’ll set it loose. We’ll build work that couldn’t exist before. That’s the future worth fighting for.”
Camilla Wallander commented, “Driving the development of creativity has been central to my work, and I believe communication skills are more important than ever in shaping meaningful change. I’m excited to join D&AD as a Trustee and to contribute diverse perspectives that can help shape its future.”
Additional list of Trustees:
- Lisa Smith, D&AD President, Global Chief Design Officer, Uncommon Studio
- Nils Leonard, Deputy President, Uncommon Studio
- Kwame Taylor-Hayford, Co-Founder, Kin
- Ravi Amaratunga Hitchcock, Co-Founder, Soursop
- Hannah Kelly, The Curious Saboteur – Senior Graphic Designer & Creative
- Jonathan Kneebone, Writer/Director, The Glue Society
- Priya Prakash, Founder & Chief Technology Officer, Design for Social Change (D4SC)
- Jack Renwick, Founder/Strategic & Creative Director, Jack Renwick Studio
- Chaka Sobhani, President and Global Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\Worldwide
