Waitrose chief customer officer Nathan Ansell is the new president of the UK Advertising Association, which represents advertisers, agencies and media. He succeeds Allwynn’s Andria Vidler.
Ansell (above) rejoined Waitrose in 2023 as customer director, returning to the business where he held his first retail role 25 years earlier. He has also held senior roles at Marks & Spencer, House 337, Heinz, Birds Eye Iglo and Red Bull. Waitrose won many plaudits for its Christmas campaign from Wonderhood Studios featuring Keira Knightley.
Ansell says: “I am looking forward to stepping into the role of President at the Advertising Association from next spring. It is a tremendous honour to be appointed, and having seen first-hand the transformative impact that responsible advertising can have on businesses and communities, I am eager to collaborate with our members to build on the fantastic work already underway. Together, we will lead our efforts in promoting a more trusted, inclusive, and effective advertising landscape that delivers real value for everyone and demonstrates the essential contribution our industry makes to the UK economy.”
AA CEO Stephen Woodford says: “Firstly, I would like to thank Andria for her continued outstanding leadership and commitment during her time as President. She is helping to guide our work at a vital moment for the industry, championing responsible advertising and its contribution to economic growth and the need to build public trust, inclusion and sustainability into everything we do.
“I am delighted to welcome Nathan as our President Elect, to succeed Andria next spring. He is one of the UK’s most respected customer and marketing leaders, with exceptional experience across retail, FMCG, agencies and brand transformation. He is a champion of brand-led growth, with a deep understanding of consumers, data-led insight and responsible business and will be a huge asset to the Advertising Association and to our members as we continue to demonstrate the value of responsible advertising to the UK economy and society.”
