Avril Canavan, Worldwide Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
PHD has announced two new C-suite positions following a year of growth for the network. Avril Canavan has been promoted to Worldwide Chief Marketing and Communications Officer and Patrick Ryan to Worldwide Chief Commercial Officer. Both will continue reporting to Philippa Brown, Worldwide CEO.
The newly created roles will see Canavan and Ryan form part of the worldwide executive team responsible for driving the network’s growth, working closely with the regional and local leadership teams spanning over 100 offices.
Additionally, Emma Storer has been promoted to Worldwide Business Development Director, reporting to Ryan, while Jess Ozdemir and Lisa Williams join the Worldwide Marketing and Communications team as Worldwide Director and EMEA Director respectively, reporting to Canavan.
Patrick Ryan, Worldwide Chief Commercial Officer
The appointments come off the back of several years of growth for the network, which has most recently included a series of global new business wins, including LG Electronics, TikTok and The Stars Group. Today, PHD counts Volkswagen Group, HSBC and Singapore Airlines amongst its global client base.
Canavan will oversee the strategic direction of PHD’s communications and marketing activities across the network and lead best practice. She joined PHD Worldwide in 2010, holding the title of Global PR Director before being promoted to Worldwide Marketing and Communications Director in 2013. Over the past nine years, she has been responsible for driving activities that have built PHD’s reputation as a global network. Prior to joining PHD in 2010, Canavan held the role of Global PR Director at Iris and previously ran the PR functions at TBWA\London and Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury & Partners.
Ryan will be responsible for developing PHD’s growth strategy and overseeing the implementation locally, regionally and globally. He will focus on providing a 360-degree perspective across commercial, product, strategic and investment areas. He joined PHD in 2013 as Worldwide Business Development Director and has been at the helm of leading global and regional pitches, which has seen the network grow considerably, as well as advising on best practice. Ryan joined from UM where, following many years of running large global accounts, he led new business for EMEA.
Philippa Brown, PHD’s Worldwide CEO, said of the promotions, “Avril and Patrick have been an instrumental part of PHD’s network growth story and I couldn’t be happier that they are taking on new senior roles, as we continue PHD’s ambitious growth plans and make a leap in our evolution as a network. They’re a great team that has driven our approach to agency marketing and business development, which has manifested itself in everything from our success in recent pitches to our position as one of the most awarded networks globally.”
“PHD has a strong and defining heritage as a strategic and creative media agency,” said Canavan. “I consider myself privileged to work with great talent across the network to showcase the creativity, innovation and thought leadership that makes PHD stand out from other network brands. I’m looking forward to the next part of the journey.”
“The last six years have seen phenomenal growth across the network, powered by an amazing group of talent and world-class technology,” said Ryan. “PHD is in rapid ascendancy and I can’t wait to be part of our future success.”
