Philip Cowdell
Advisory Council, Institute for Advertising Ethics
Global Chief Strategy Officer, Channel Factory
Phil joined Channel Factory in 2022 as Global Chief Strategy Officer. Formerly on the Advisory Board, his key focus is on articulating and executing on the business commitment of “Doing Good Business While Doing Good”. His mandate includes delivering Conscious Business Performance, and includes the Media Sustainability, Conscious Advertising Program, supporting Responsible Journalism, addressing Representation & inclusion, and re-engineering Brand Safety and Suitability to better meet the needs of Brands and Communities.
Previously, Phil divided his career between the advertising industry and government affairs.
In advertising he has run some of the world’s largest and best-known media agencies including being North American CEO of WPP’s Mindshare and Mediacom, and Serviceplan’s Mediaplus. While at GroupM he was also the North American head of m-Platform which included all GroupM's digital capabilities (Xaxis, Programmatic Buying Units, Search, Social, Data Analytics and Reporting). Phil has also led media planning and buying for major global clients (P&G, Unilever, Amex, Ford etc) and run country Media Buying Groups at Publicis's Starcom MediaVest and Zenith.
Regarding Industry representation Phil has been board member of the EACA Media Council, 4As Media Council, and currently WeAreBRIDGE and the Institute of Advertising Ethics. He has been an Effies and Cannes Gold Lion judge. As a speaker he has delivered keynotes at US forums including 4As, ANA/AIMM etc plus at industry events across Europe, Middle East, Africa, SouthEast Asia, South Asia, and Australia.
In the public sector, Phil specializes in how communications and digital media are being exploited by bad actors. Initial focus was on terrorism and violent extremism under the Obama administration, including being invited by UK Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Macron to speak at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). Subsequently, he has specialized in Information Operations which includes dis- and mis-information by domestic and foreign rogue actors. His clients have been across both US Republican and Democrat administrations, as well as UK and other foreign governments.
Phil is a graduate of the University of London, and has lived in the US, UK, China, Canada and Australia, and worked across Europe, North America, Greater China, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. He and his family currently live in the US.