Former Interbrand head of strategy Ian Howard joins Little Giant in chief strategy officer role

Little Giant has announced the appointment of Ian Howard as chief strategy officer.

Howard has held strategic leadership roles at TVNZ, digital agency Young&Shand and most recently as head of strategy at Interbrand. He brings to the team extensive experience in creating growth-focussed brand, marketing and digital strategies for some of the biggest companies in New Zealand.

Says Howard: “From the time I first encountered Little Giant I thought there was something very special happening there and I’m absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to work with such an amazingly talented team.

“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the quality of work coming out of the agency is world-class. My focus will be on continuing to build our strategic capabilities in order to deliver outstanding growth for our clients.”

Little Giant CEO Mark Hurley describes the appointment as another big step forward for the digitally-led agency.

Says Hurley: “We are extremely excited to have someone of Ian’s quality and experience leading our strategy department. We have been aggressively growing our strategy and creative capabilities over the past 12 months and we are really seeing that pay dividends in the type of work the agency is now winning.

“The fact someone of Ian’s calibre left a global powerhouse like Interbrand for an Independent like us really speaks to what we are building here. 2017 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for us and our clients.”

The appointment of Howard follows an influx of high quality talent to Little Giant with Danica Paki, Tanja Seselj, Richie Bramley and Bart Etcheverry all joining the agency in the last 6 months.