'Don’t chase the title; chase the chaos': Tom Ghiden

adam&eveDDB has a new managing director. Tom Ghiden, who helped launch JOAN London and held senior roles at McCann, AMV BBDO, and Grey, joined the agency this summer - bringing a track record of creativity and growth, having worked with brands such as Mars, Procter & Gamble, and eBay.

We sat down with Ghiden to hear how he plans to lead the agency into its next chapter. He says his approach to leadership is as much about culture as it is about campaigns. “Life at adam&eveDDB is energising, but equally humbling.

“There’s a legacy here that demands respect, but also a real desire to keep evolving. It’s a place filled with incredibly smart people unified against complacency.” For Ghiden, his priority is clear: create an environment where people feel safe to take risks, where high standards go hand in hand with heart, and where brilliant ideas can flourish.

The move to adam&eveDDB wasn’t just a career step—it was a call to be part of something he has long admired. “They’re continuously making the kind of work I’ve envied,” he explains.

“It isn’t just about doing great work; it’s about doing better work, every time.” Central to this is the agency’s ‘Feeling First’ philosophy, which he describes as more than a creative lens—it’s a competitive advantage. “Brands need to be felt, not just seen. That’s what makes the work here so singular. And my goal is to make sure that emotion scales, rather than dilutes, across everything we do.”

Here, he tells us about settling in, his priorities as the a&eDDB MD, and how he plans to keep creativity and culture at the heart of the agency.

Creative Salon: Congratulations on your new role. How are you settling in to life at adam&eveDDB?

Tom Ghiden: Thank you! I’d say my first few months have been a bit of a baptism by fire - but isn’t that the best way possible?

Life at adam&eveDDB is energising, but equally humbling. There’s a legacy here that demands respect, but there’s a real desire to keep evolving for the future. It’s a place filled with incredibly smart people that are unified against complacency. In every room, you’re surrounded by the best in the industry.

So yes, settling in, but never sitting still.

Having worked in leadership roles at other leading UK agencies across your career, what drew you to joining adam&eve?

adam&DDB has an unmatched reputation. They’re continuously making the kind of work I’ve always envied.

I’ve worked in some brilliant agencies, but what I love about adam&eve is the shared ambition here: it isn’t just to make great work; it’s to do better work, every time. And that was a challenge I just couldn’t resist.

What are your key priorities as MD for the business?

For me, everything starts and ends with an agency’s culture.

My top priority is ensuring adam&eveDDB continues to be the place where people are excited to come in every day, and feel safe enough to take risks.

The best work rarely comes from people who are burned out or afraid. I’m focused on continuing to build systems and ways of working that free people up to do what they’re great at, rather than slow them down.

Most of all, I want to keep evolving what leadership looks like. I strongly believe that you can have high standards and a big heart. The goal is to lead in a way that elevates everyone with you.

What’s that one skill that the best account people you know have?

Emotional intelligence, full stop. Account management is a job about people: about driving good work both internally and externally. And to do that effectively, you need to read a room, anticipate the unsaid, and move things on without hurting feelings.

At their best, great account people are translators, fixers, protectors, diplomats, and occasionally therapists. Like Olivia Pope (Scandal), but with brands. It’s a subtle skill, but when someone has it, you can feel it instantly.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Co-founding JOAN London was something I still am incredibly proud of. Building something from nothing and learning that entrepreneurship is equal parts vision and Googling “how to do X” at 2am.

Those lessons about resilience, clarity, and backing yourself are the same ones I’m bringing to adam&eveDDB now. While it’s a bigger agency, my focus remains the same: creating the environment to make brilliant things happen.

How do you look to continue delivering adam&eve’s ‘Feeling First’ philosophy for current and future clients?

What has always excited me about Feeling First is it’s more than a philosophy; it’s a competitive advantage. Our world has become more saturated with content than ever before. So rather than just being seen, brands need to be felt. They need to create a true connection with consumers. That’s what makes the work adam&eveDDB does so singular.

So for me, my goal is to keep fostering environments where this kind of work can thrive, especially in our client relationships. And as we look ahead, I want to make sure we continue to scale that emotion - rather than dilute it. Whether we're talking film, TikTok, or AI tech platforms we haven’t dreamt up yet, Feeling First must remain our north star. Formats will always evolve with time, but the power of making people actually feel something? That’s always going to mean something.

The marketer’s remit has become more complex over the last few years and agencies have had to evolve to keep up. What does the new client-agency relationship look like?

One word: partners.

All marketers are navigating more today than ever before: More platforms and tighter budgets. They need more than an agency who’s going to just deliver, they need a partner who can be there to challenge, bounce ideas and help troubleshoot.

The best relationships are built on radical honesty and deep understanding. At least that’s what my therapist keeps telling me…

What still takes you by surprise in the industry?

Honestly? The people! I’ve been in this industry… A LONG TIME. And I’d thought I’d met ALL of the incredibly talented people. But, having just come to adam&eveDDB, I’m just hugely rocked by the level of talent I get to experience every day. Of course it’s the senior management, but even more impressive are the people 10 years younger than me, and already so unbelievable creative, 10 times braver, and articulate. The level of aptitude across the board has forced me to raise my game (and has kept me incredibly humbled).

What changes would you like to see in the industry?

I think I’ve been incredibly vocal about what I’d like to see in the industry, and I think it’s pretty simple…I’d like to see agencies become more representative of a modern Britain. In every conference room and represented in every execution.

And I think this needs to be more than just diversity of background, of course — but ALSO of thought. I’d love to see more people who haven’t followed the “usual” paths. People who bring different reference points, cultural fluencies, life experiences. Not just because I think they’ll bring fresh thinking to our work, but also because this will help make our agencies more compelling.

And finally, what advice would you have for someone wanting to become an agency MD?

Don’t chase the title; chase the chaos. Learn to love hard decisions, awkward conversations, and the joy of seeing other people shine. Grow an incredibly thick skin, and a very soft heart. But most of all remember: being MD isn’t about shouting the loudest — it’s about making sure the right voices get heard.