Mark Elwood has been appointed chief creative officer of Leo Burnett UK, effective immediately. The promotion follows the announcement that Chaka Sobhani will be leaving the agency in six months’ time.
Elwood joined the agency in June 2020 and has since rebooted the agency’s creative department. He has been running Leo Burnett London’s creative department for three-and-a-half years, overseeing all creative work across all its 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 stated, “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.”
Carly Avener, chief executive officer at Leo Burnett UK, added, “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.”
Before joining Leo Burnett, Elwood was executive creative director of MullenLowe London, crafting 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. Elwood joined MullenLowe in October 2017 after the independent creative agency he co-founded in 2011, 101, was acquired by IPG and merged into MullenLowe. At 101, he was creative partner to Richard Flintham. The agency successfully pitched and won clients including Wagamama, French Connection, Dunelm, Avios, Art Fund and Kettle Chips.
For the previous six years, Elwood was head of art and creative director at Fallon London, now part of Leo Burnett. Prior to that, he held head of design positions at JWT, Euro RSCG and AMV BBDO, where he was promoted to board director, having moved agency side in 1996 when he first joined Leo Burnett. Elwood started his career as an apprentice typesetter, learning the craft of typography and design from day one.
The changes follow other recent promotions at Leo Burnett including Carly Avener to CEO and Sam Houlston to managing director, as well as the agency being appointed by Confused.com last month.
