Yomi Olaniwun
Background Overview
Lilli English is the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) at Leo Burnett UK, one of the UK’s leading advertising agencies. She took on this role in June 2025, marking her return to Leo Burnett, where she began her career in strategy. Lilli brings over 15 years of strategic leadership experience to her current post. Before coming back to Leo Burnett UK, she served as Chief Strategy Officer at Portas, a prominent strategy and brand consultancy where she worked for nearly five years, shaping strategic work for brands like Sainsbury’s, IKEA, Pandora, and Farrow & Ball. She also spent eight years at BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty) in senior strategy roles including Head of Strategy and Managing Partner. At BBH, she led strategic planning for major brands such as Absolut, Costa, and Tesco, playing a key part in Tesco’s highly successful “Food Love Stories” campaign that generated significant incremental revenue. Lilli started her strategy career at Leo Burnett UK, working on key accounts like McDonald’s UK and leading the strategic launch of McCafé — work that earned industry recognition and awards. After moving through BBH and Portas, her return to Leo Burnett as CSO highlights her strong reputation and strategic influence within the UK advertising scene. Outside agency life, she is also an illustrator and author, having published two children’s books and created commissioned illustration work for brands including Chanel and The Design Museum. In her CSO role, Lilli leads the strategy department, shapes planning across the agency’s client portfolio, and works closely with senior leadership to fuel growth and creative effectiveness at Leo Burnett UK.
The Boomerang Effect
When Lilli English returns to Leo Burnett UK as Chief Strategy Officer, it’s more than a career milestone — it’s a narrative arc that speaks to growth, perspective and timing. Starting her career within the agency’s strategy ranks, English learned the discipline of brand building inside a network known for emotionally resonant, populist creativity. But leaving was critical. Her years at BBH sharpened her ability to shape culturally influential platforms, while her leadership role at Portas expanded her view from campaigns to full-scale business transformation. That shift — from creative agency to consultancy — matters in today’s climate, where clients demand strategic partners who understand margins as much as messaging. Returning to Leo Burnett with that cross-sector depth positions her not just as a former insider stepping up, but as a leader bringing external intelligence back home. The boomerang effect is powerful: institutional memory meets expanded capability. For an agency recalibrating its strategic muscle in 2026, her return signals continuity — but also evolution.
Strategy That Moves Business, Not Just Awards
In a market where agencies are increasingly judged by commercial outcomes rather than creative trophies, English’s track record suggests a clear priority: effectiveness. Her strategic leadership across major UK and global brands has consistently linked insight to tangible growth, reinforcing a belief that creativity should translate into measurable business impact. At BBH, she operated within a culture known for long-term brand platforms — the kind that build equity over years, not quarters. At Portas, strategy became even more operational, embedded in retail ecosystems, customer journeys and structural change. That hybrid exposure reflects the modern reality: strategy must function across the entire value chain. As Chief Strategy Officer at Leo Burnett UK, her remit extends beyond planning output. It includes shaping how strategy fuels agency growth, guides creative ambition and strengthens client relationships. In 2026, the CSO role is less about producing decks and more about embedding thinking into the fabric of the agency. English represents a generation of leaders who understand that insight without execution is theory — and creativity without commercial discipline is risk. The sweet spot lies in the integration of both.
The Creative Strategist
Beyond boardrooms and brand frameworks, English’s identity as an illustrator and published children’s author adds a compelling dimension to her leadership. It signals something often overlooked in strategic circles: imagination is not separate from analysis — it strengthens it. Visual thinking sharpens narrative clarity. Storytelling builds empathy. Illustration demands precision and perspective — qualities equally essential in strategic planning. In an industry increasingly influenced by automation and AI-driven data analysis, human creativity becomes a differentiator rather than a luxury. This duality — commercial strategist and creative practitioner — positions English within a broader shift in advertising leadership. The most effective CSOs today are not purely analytical architects; they are culturally fluent interpreters. They understand that brands are stories people choose to believe in. At Leo Burnett UK, an agency with deep roots in emotionally driven work, this creative fluency aligns with legacy. It suggests a strategy department designed not to restrain bold ideas, but to make them braver and more grounded.
A New Standard for Strategic Leadership
English’s appointment also reflects a broader recalibration within the advertising industry. Strategic leadership roles have evolved significantly over the past decade. Today’s CSOs are expected to lead cultural intelligence, champion effectiveness, guide innovation and navigate the rapid integration of AI into agency workflows. At Leo Burnett UK, her presence on the executive leadership team elevates strategy from a department to a central business driver. It reinforces the idea that long-term growth depends on disciplined thinking paired with creative ambition. Her journey — from junior planner to executive leader — also offers a blueprint for emerging strategists watching closely. Depth of craft still matters. Cross-sector experience still matters. Curiosity still matters. In a market where agencies compete not just with each other but with consultancies, in-house teams and technology platforms, leadership must be expansive. English’s elevation suggests a model rooted in adaptability, creative intelligence and commercial rigor.
For Leo Burnett UK, the message is clear: strategy is no longer a supporting function. It is central to defining the agency’s next chapter.
