Rod Sobral

Agency: OLIVER

UK

Rod Sobral, OLIVER's global chief creative officer, is reimagining marketing through innovation, creativity, and GenAI. Since joining in 2019, he has led the agency through a remarkable transformation and growth.

In 2024, OLIVER achieved a record revenue of £370 million, surpassing 2023's figures by 3%, and welcomed 43 new clients, including HP, easyJet, Sephora, HSBC, TikTok, and Bloomberg. Rod was honored as Creativepool's Creative Leader of the Year (People's Choice) and has helped OLIVER secure over 200 international awards, including nominations for Campaign's UK Customer Engagement Agency of the Year, In-House Agency of the Year, Social Media Agency of the Year and wining gold at the coveted European Effie Awards. A key to his success has been building iconic social-first brands and driving GenAI-powered marketing globally. While other agencies debate GenAI's role, Rod's team has successfully applied it for major brands like Unilever, Bayer, and Diageo, setting new benchmarks for creative effectiveness and craftsmanship. They have also developed proprietary AI tools that enhance creativity without compromising quality. Beyond his role as Global CCO, Rod mentors emerging talent, contributes to industry conferences, and serves on Unilever's and Meta's Global Creative Councils, while also leading DE&I initiatives within OLIVER's 6,000-strong network.