Dylan Williams joins DEPT® as EMEA Chief Strategy Officer
DEPT®, the Growth Invention company, today announced the appointment of Dylan Williams as SVP Strategy EMEA.
One of the most decorated strategists of his generation, Williams joins as the company accelerates its mission to help clients grow at the intersection of AI-first marketing and technology.
As AI transformation changes how brands grow, the quality of strategic thinking matters more than ever. DEPT® is investing in leadership that can connect commercial ambition to AI-first marketing and technology execution. Williams, twice voted the number one strategist in the industry by Campaign UK, brings exactly that rare combination.
Over three decades Williams has built strategy at some of the most celebrated agencies in the world. He rose to the board at BBH as its youngest-ever company director, became a Partner and Chief Strategic Officer at Mother during its Agency of the Decade run, and served as Global Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Publicis Groupe before helping turn around Droga5’s London office into a thriving hub for the network. Most recently he served as a Managing Director at Accenture Song.
Beyond agency life, he has completed Harvard’s Science and Implications of AI executive programme, sat on the European Client Council of Meta and the EFFIES UK Council, and advised the British Government on tech start-up ecosystems. He is co-author of the 2021 book Build Brilliant Brands.
“I don’t see how in 2026 one can credibly talk about marketing technology without truly understanding brands, nor talk about brands without truly understanding the role of technology. When I looked across the industry, DEPT® not only stood out as the place that best does both, but that does so with a laser focus on achieving growth for its clients. Spending time with Joanna Trippett confirmed for me that I wanted to be part of her team. This team feels like it has the potential to be the seminal agency of the Twenties and I want to be part of that.
”Dylan Williams, SVP Strategy EMEA
“Dylan is one of those rare people who has shaped the industry rather than just worked in it. He is going to be my right-hand partner as we build out what DEPT® can do for our global and local clients across EMEA, and I’ve long admired his ability to connect brand strategy to business outcomes in a way that very few people can credibly claim. The team and I are thrilled to have him on board.
”Joanna Trippett, EMEA CEO
Williams joins a strategy practice at the heart of DEPT®’s EMEA offer, working alongside clients including Lufthansa, PepsiCo, easyJet and Google to connect brand thinking to the AI-first marketing and technology capabilities that drive real growth. His appointment signals DEPT®’s intent to deepen that proposition across the region, bringing strategic weight to an already powerful offer.
