Goodbye, Hello and Thank you

Goodbye 

Every two years the leadership of the APG is enhanced with a new Chair. At the end of 2025 we said farewell to Emily Harlock and Martin Beverley, the first co-Chairs of the APG who for the last two years have been both inspiring and brilliant to work with.

Chairing the APG is, in many ways, a wonderful thing.  You get to lead the thinking for a community of planners and strategists and you’re at the heart of everything that goes on in that community. But it’s also a lot of work and time given voluntarily whilst juggling multiple pitches, wholesale changes in agencies and - in the case of both Emily and Martin - running or starting up new agencies. It’s a lot.

The ‘Bevlock’ experiment showed once again how Planners working together as strategy leaders can be immensely potent and set an inspiring example of collaboration for us all. So my heartfelt thanks to both of them for doing such an incredible job, so willingly and enthusiastically, and being delightful co-conspirators in the APG enterprise. 

The APG had a brilliant 2025. We had our highest profile awards ever, with more entries than ever before and a true diversity of flavours of strategy on show.

We had the support of all of you, and some fantastic new partners, including Canvas8, Channel 4, Gillian Morrison Strategy and Tracksuit, joining long-term APG friends like ITV, Warc, Denise Williams, Strategy Book, The Nursery, Davies+McKerr and Thinkbox, who have supported and worked with us for many years.

The APG literally would not exist without our chairs and committee, and the enthusiastic backing of our members and partners. Thank you to you all.

Hello 

I’m delighted to announce that we have once again appointed co-Chairs. The new Chairs of the APG for 2026/7 are Jo Arden and Tom Roach. 

Jo is the CSO of AMVBBDO, one of the most energetic and fearless strategy leaders, who has tirelessly devoted herself to the community through her work chairing the IPA Effectiveness awards, with WACL and the History of Advertising Trust. She’s also been deeply engaged with the APG for many years and we’re so happy to have co-opted her to devote her time to us for the next couple of years. 

Tom is VP Brand Strategy at Jellyfish, one of the most prolific and respected writers and thinkers in our community, an expert in effectiveness and all things AI, as well as a deeply passionate advocate for creativity and the power of creative strategy. He chaired the super successful APG Creative Strategy Awards in 2025. 

They are a fantastic combo and I love working with them. Thank you to them for stepping up and I wish them a brilliant couple of years at the helm.

Hooray!

I’m delighted to let you know that as of January, Lexi Campbell is promoted to Head of Operations for the APG. I think everyone who encounters the APG probably has a brush with Lexi and she is just brilliant. Lexi is the heart of the APG machine and we want to recognise this formally and extend her role in making sure that everything we do is seamlessly excellent and bathed in her unique southern charm.  

Sarah Newman

APG Director