Sue Benson, CEO and founder trustee of The Behaviours Agency, has been named as the IPA (Institute for Practitioners in Advertising) chair for England and Wales. She succeeds James Ray in the role.
As IPA Chair for England & Wales, Benson will act as a figurehead for IPA member agencies in England (outside London) and in Wales, working closely with the team of IPA city heads to champion the outstanding talent in the advertising community and support Karen Martin’s agenda to reaffirm the power of creativity as IPA president.
Since 2023, Sue has served as IPA city head for Manchester & the North West. Gemma Longfellow, chief people officer at Open Partners, has been appointed as her successor locally.
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Benson said: “I am thrilled to take on the role of IPA chair for England and Wales to continue celebrating the outstanding talent across our regional hubs. Karen Martin’s focus on the power of creativity is exactly what our industry needs right now, and I’m particularly looking forward to interviewing her in April. It’s going to be a joy working with Gemma to support and challenge our brilliant Manchester agency community.”
Her successor in Manchester, Longfellow, added: “I’m honoured to represent our region’s agencies as the IPA City Head. During this time of significant change for both agencies and clients, it is vital that we learn and adapt together to shape the future of our industry. I look forward to working alongside Sue and the IPA team to champion the North-West’s voice, ensuring we continue to build world-class support, training, and resources to help members thrive.”
IPA director of membership, Tom Mott, said: “I’m delighted that Sue will be our new chair for England & Wales. She has been an invaluable part of the IPA community as city head for Manchester in recent years, and I have no doubt that she will continue to bring the same passion to her new role as chair.
“I am also excited to welcome Gemma to the team as city head. Everything we do is focused on bringing the best out of our members, and I am looking forward to working with Gemma to best serve our brilliant agency community around Manchester and the North West.”
