RAPP UK

Jon Pollard: Strategic Leadership, Redefined

When RAPP's Chief Strategy Officer departed in 2024, Head of Strategy Jon Pollard proposed something counterintuitive: don't replace them. Instead, he introduced the "Superteam model", elevating the entire senior strategy group into distributed leaders across specific disciplines, challenging the industry's cult-of-the-individual strategist. This wasn't merely structural. It represented a deeper philosophy: seeing precision and empathy not as opposing forces, but as multipliers. Where others compromise between data and emotion, Jon finds growth in the space between them. The results prove the approach works. For KFC, his team achieved a 26:1 ROI by transforming email from noise into unmissable moments. Barclays drove millions of additional app actions by repositioning utility as everyday essential. Internally, Jon transformed the team through leadership that multiplies rather than concentrates power. Strategy engagement scores run 14% higher than agency average. 100% positive feedback on his leadership. More strategists on more pitches. More experts emerging. Externally, he's reshaping RAPP itself, from restructured client portfolios to AI training initiatives, while building industry visibility through thought leadership and leading RAPP's LGBTQ+ and diversity initiatives.