Leo Burnett UK has hired Lilli English as its new Chief Strategy Officer.

In her new role, English will lead the agency’s strategy team, oversee planning across clients, and work closely with CEO Carly Avener and Chief Creative Officer Mark Elwood to drive growth and win new business. She’ll report directly to Avener.

English brings over 15 years of strategy experience. She joins from Portas, where she was Chief Strategy Officer for nearly five years. There, she refreshed the agency’s strategic approach and worked with brands like Sainsbury’s, Ikea, Pandora, and Farrow & Ball.

Before that, she spent eight years at BBH in senior roles such as Head of Strategy and Managing Partner. She led strategy for brands including Absolut and Costa, and played a key role in transforming Tesco, launching the award-winning “Food Love Stories” campaign and helping to bring in over £2.2 billion in extra revenue.

English started her strategy career at Leo Burnett, working on McDonald’s UK and leading the launch of McCafé. That work won major awards, including a Cannes Creative Effectiveness Lion, a Gold IPA Effectiveness Award, and the Marketing Society Grand Prix.

Outside of advertising, she’s also a published children’s book illustrator and has done work for brands like Chanel, Henry Holland, and The Design Museum.

Carly Avener, CEO at Leo Burnett UK, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Lilli back to Leo’s. She’s a force of nature – brilliantly creative, commercially sharp, and deeply attuned to what moves people in every corner of the brand experience.

“Lilli has an innate understanding of the power of populist creativity to drive both emotional connection and business growth. Her return comes at a hugely exciting time for the agency as we continue to build momentum with some of the UK’s biggest and best-loved brands.”

Lilli English, Chief Strategy Officer at Leo Burnett UK, added: “Leo’s is where I first fell in love with the magic of strategy and that’s stayed with me ever since. Coming back feels both familiar and completely future facing. I’m excited to get stuck in and help shape the next chapter of populist creativity at Leo Burnett.”