
Why Skills-First Leadership Is Replacing the Ivy League Playbook in the C-Suite
The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
Digital agency Dept has undertaken a strategic restructuring of its European operations. The company has consolidated its activities across the European, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region under a single profit and loss (P&L) structure. This unification is accompanied by the promotion of Joanna Trippett, the former Managing Director of Dept UK, to the newly created role of Executive Vice President, EMEA.
Previously, Dept operated as a collection of distinct agencies within the EMEA region, including Byte, Feed, Shop, and Dept. Each agency functioned with its own P&L, potentially hindering collaboration and limiting efficiencies. Implementing a unified P&L streamlines financial reporting and fosters a more cohesive approach to business development across the region.
Joanna Trippett, who has been with Dept for ten years, brings extensive experience to her new leadership position. She began her career at Dept (formerly Byte/Dept) as an account planner and has since risen through the ranks. In 2023, she was appointed joint Managing Director of Dept UK alongside Alicja Lloyd, who has since left the company.
Trippett’s stated objective in this new role is to leverage the combined strengths of the EMEA operations. She emphasizes the importance of moving away from siloed operations based on national boundaries. The goal is to create a single client service model that can cater to the needs of both global and local clients across the entire EMEA region.
This restructuring by Dept reflects a broader trend within the digital marketing industry towards consolidation and forming larger, more comprehensive agencies. By uniting its European operations under a single leadership structure, Dept aims to enhance its ability to compete effectively in this evolving marketplace. The success of this initiative will depend on Trippett’s leadership and the agency’s ability to foster a unified culture and seamless collaboration across its geographically
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The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
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