Andrew Swinand appointed new CEO of Inspired Thinking Group

Inspired Thinking Group (ITG) has named Andrew Swinand as its new Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO). Swinand, who previously served as Creative CEO at Leo Burnett and Publicis, steps into the leadership role with a mission to further ITG's reputation for delivering innovative content marketing solutions for prominent brands such as Heineken, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), and Haleon.

The announcement marks a pivotal transition for ITG as Simon Ward, the company’s founding CEO, moves to a Founder role, where he will continue to contribute as an advisor to Swinand. Under Ward's leadership, ITG has seen exponential growth and has been instrumental in revolutionising the marketing industry with a tech-led, agile approach to content production.

"Having made the decision to step into a Founder role, it was vital from my perspective to find the absolute best person to lead the group, and I'm delighted to say we've done so," stated Simon Ward, ITG Founder. "Andrew shares our vision and is the perfect fit for our business and culture."

Swinand, who has a rich history in marketing and advertising with stints at notable firms such as Procter & Gamble, Starcom MediaVest Group, and most recently as CEO of Leo Burnett and Publicis Creative in the United States, brings a wealth of experience to ITG. He sees enormous potential in extending ITG's end-to-end services, known as Team ITG, and its award-winning marketing technology, Storyteq, as the company aims to redefine how brands produce content.

"Having seen the challenges every brand is facing in producing scaled, high-quality content, I'm making the move to ITG because, quite simply, this company is the future of the industry," said Andrew Swinand, incoming GCEO at ITG. "I don’t see anyone else with the ability to blend production, tech and creativity in the way that we do, enabling our clients to deliver better work on every channel at scale, at pace, and on budget." Swinand added, "We've got all the foundations in place to become a global leader in marketing technology and services, bringing the next generation of tech-enabled, agile content to brands around the world."

Under Swinand's leadership and with support from the senior leadership team, which includes Darren Singer (Group CFO) and Sue Mountford (Team ITG CEO), ITG aims to solidify its position as a global powerhouse in marketing technology and services. The company already boasts an impressive roster of clients, including Jaguar Land Rover, Haleon, KFC, Heineken, Marks & Spencer, and PUMA, and is poised to attract more global brands.

Recent accomplishments highlight ITG's innovative prowess: the company announced a new content production hub with John Lewis Partnership and earned accolades as a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave: Digital Asset Management Systems 2024 and a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Content Marketing Platforms 2023.

Expressing confidence in the future, Simon Ward remarked, "Andrew was the outstanding choice to take over as GCEO at ITG alongside the brilliant team we've assembled. It comes at a pivotal moment in our history, and I'm confident that Andrew and the team will establish ITG as the go-to for world-renowned brands who want to modernise the way they produce content across their marketing."