Today, digital experience agency Barbarian announces the appointment of Jeff Blackman as managing director to lead the company into its next phase of growth. Most recently a Partner at AI product innovation company d2.ai, Jeff 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. In this senior role Jeff will lead the agency reporting directly to Barbarian CEO Joe Maglio (Joe also serves as the president of Cheil North America and CEO of McKinney). Jeff will be responsible for agency transformation, building new emerging technology capabilities and company growth.
“Jeff brings incredible experience to Barbarian from both large holding company roles to cutting-edge technology firms,” said Joe Maglio, CEO. “His leadership embodies a forward-thinking perspective that embraces change and sets the stage for us to be a pioneer in this evolution of digital agencies.”
The industry is approaching a new era of disruption and innovation, and Jeff sees this as an opportunity for Barbarian to lead in the digital space. Alongside the present need for digital agencies to evolve with technology, Jeff 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.
In this role, Jeff will prioritize growth for existing clients, new business development and fostering 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 Jeff Blackman, managing director. “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”
Jeff’s appointment signals a transformative period of new leadership and direction for the agency as it comes on the heels of Joe Maglio’s CEO appointment in March and Jo Hayes’ promotion to executive director of strategy in May.
About Barbarian:
Barbarian is a digital experience agency headquartered in New York City. Since 2001, our legacy of creativity and innovation has been the driving force of industry-changing work for some of the greatest brands in the world. In the rapidly evolving cultural and technology landscape, we empower our clients to connect with their customers in more differentiated and impactful ways. At the center is our interaction-first framework focused on experience design, platform-driven engagement and emerging technology. At Barbarian, we pride ourselves on our commitment to inclusive and courageous innovation, which guides everything we do as we shape the future of our client’s digital narratives.
