Brand advance group hires new ceo

Today, Brand Advance Group, announces that Deborah Gbadamosi will take over from Christopher Kenna as European CEO 

Brand Advance Group of Companies, publisher of Gay Star News, was established by founder Christopher Kenna in 2018. And at the company’s inception, it was the first dedicated global diversity media network: helping agencies and brands reach diverse demographics at scale with authenticity through minority media, technology and consultancy & insights. 

Brand Advance Group now provides global clients with a full 360 service for reaching minority or underrepresented consumers, helping brands and agencies break the 10% growth barrier with access to new and growing communities and their spend.

However, this month, Kenna stepped down as CEO in the UK and Europe, allowing him to take over in North America. Speaking of the move, Kenna says, “2022 was a fantastic year for us with our revenue and new client billings rising from $5m to $16m, and a forecast of $28m in client billings by the end of 2023. This is fantastic news not just for us as a business, but also for our network of minority-owned and operated partners globally. Additionally, the growth also comes with a need for me to develop personally as a founder, striving to become a leader who can drive growth in global teams. And, Deborah Gbadamosi joining our team is a large part of this growth. Being someone I have admired within the industry for a long time, I hope to learn from Deborah’s amazing experience and qualities. My full-time move to NYC to lead our North American operations could not have been possible without the knowledge that EMEA was being left in such capable hands. I look forward to the year ahead and developing both personally and long side our fantastic team.”

Deborah Gbadamosi is a global media leader with over 20 years of experience developing and implementing digital strategies for FMCG, automotive, finance and tech brands, including previously working as the Global Agency Director at Microsoft and Executive Director at OMD EMEA. 

Speaking over her new position, Gbadamosi says, “I’m beyond delighted to join Brand Advance Group and lead the next chapter of growth. Christopher and his team have built an incredible business rooted in inclusion, not just in their planning of media and creative but also in the way they operate, hire, partner and behave. I plan on bringing my experience in nurturing a strong performing team and understanding of client needs to continue shaping and defining Brand Advance Group.”  

She continues, “The aim is to keep our business at the forefront of change. I’ve had the pleasure of working with progressive media leaders as well as forward-thinking clients and partners who embraced the need for systemic change. It has positively impacted how we approach inclusive audiences, brand safety, representation and measurable outcomes. I’m keen to keep collaborating with these open-minded humans because we still have a long way to go. With Chris in the US and me in the UK, we’ll ensure Brand Advance Group continues to challenge the status quo, forge new partnerships and bring about widespread diverse and inclusive advertising solutions and practices.”

In the 12 months leading up to Gbadamosi’s appointment, Brand Advance Group of Companies has expanded from the UK to France, Germany, India, Canada and the US. Excitingly, the 2021 to 2022 year-on-year Growth was 330%, with a forecast for 300% growth in 2023.

BA Creative, a subsidiary of Brand Advance Group, has also had a fantastic year since its launch in 2022, seeing new client billings of $10m+ and the global growth of the BA Creative, BA Films and BA Influencer teams.

Additionally, Brand Advance Group’s data and insights companies DECiA and Cultural Intelligence chase continued to innovate and provide clients with access to global insights, media planning and buying and strategy tools specifically aimed at increasing agency teams’ access to minority communities for their clients.

In 2023 and beyond, Brand Advance Group of Companies will continue to thrive, incite change and ensure the media industry hears our voices.