‘Making the complex simpler’: ISBA’s Phil Smith on trust, transparency and reinvention
Preparing to step down as ISBA director general later this year, Phil Smith discusses the challenges and achievements the ad industry has faced over the past decade.
The advertising and marketing industry has undergone significant changes over the past eight years, marked by the rise of generative AI and data-driven marketing, as well as evolving brand safety standards and increasing regulatory scrutiny.
At the centre of the changes has been Phil Smith, outgoing director general of ISBA, who has helped steer UK advertisers through one of the most dynamic periods in the industry’s history.
As announced in December last year, Smith will step down in mid-2025 after eight years in the role. While the search for his successor is still underway, the outgoing director general says the time has come for fresh leadership.
