Digital experience agency Barbarian has appointed Jeff Blackman to serve as its managing director. Most recently a partner at AI product innovation company d2.ai, Blackman brings over 20 years of experience in leading digital transformation, emerging technology, innovation, customer experience and digital marketing for Fortune 500s and start-ups alike, including his time at agencies Havas and Publicis.
Blackman will report directly to Barbarian CEO Joe Maglio (who also serves as the president of Cheil North America and CEO of McKinney). Blackman will be responsible for agency transformation, building new emerging technology capabilities and company growth.
The industry is approaching a new era of disruption and innovation, and Blackman sees this as an opportunity for Barbarian to lead in the digital space. Alongside the present need for digital agencies to evolve with technology, Blackman also recognizes the need to shift the agency mindset around the value they bring to clients, from viewing work as temporary projects with a start and end date to treating their work as a digital product designed to experiment, evolve and scale.
Blackman will prioritize growth for existing clients, new business development and foster a collaborative, future-focused culture. He plans to expand the core of Barbarian’s work at the intersection of design, content, tech and data, while leading the development of new capabilities and solutions to address the expanding needs of the modern brand experience–all in service of bringing incremental value to brands and propelling their growth.
“As a venerable agency with such strong DNA, Barbarian is really well equipped to thrive as a leader in this new era of experience, emerging technology and AI,” said Blackman. “Ultimately, we’re in the business of helping our clients forge stronger connections with their consumers in the digital space, and that relationship is even more important and complex as culture and technology evolve. I’m looking forward to playing a role in pushing the agency further and expanding our capabilities to deliver even more innovative solutions to our clients”
Blackman’s appointment signals a transformative period of new leadership and direction for the agency as it comes on the heels of Maglio’s CEO appointment in March and Jo Hayes’ promotion to executive director of strategy in May.
