Stephen was appointed CEO of the Advertising Association in October 2016. The AA promotes the role and rights of responsible advertising and its value to people, society, business and the economy. The leading advertising trade bodies, commercial media owners and tech platforms are members of the AA. The AA focuses its work on the ad industry priorities, such a public trust in advertising, inclusion, through the All In programme, and sustainability, as the home of Ad Net Zero. Prior to joining, Stephen held management roles in four agency groups (Leo Burnett, WCRS/Engine and DDB/adam&eveDDB and Next 15). He is a Governor of Ravensbourne University in London, the UK’s newest creative and technology university. He chairs The Debating Group, a cross-industry programme that hosts debates on industry issues in Parliament. He is a past President of NABS and serves on the board of the History of Advertising Trust. He was IPA President (2003-05) where he led both their first ethnic diversity initiative and launched its professional qualifications, which over 20,000 people have now passed in the UK and around the world.