Creative communications agency, Brands at Work, has announced two strategic leadership appointments.
Emma Purves joins the agency as client experience director, while Kirsten Donaldson joins as new business director, strengthening the agency’s focus on client relationships as it continues to expand its integrated creative communications and brand experience offering.
Widely respected across the communications and events industry, Purves brings more than two decades of agency leadership experience, having held senior roles at Identity, Stature PR and Touch Associates.
Throughout her career she has built a reputation for developing high-performing client teams, nurturing long-term partnerships and delivering complex, high-profile programmes for global brands. Her blend of commercial thinking, operational excellence and people-first leadership makes her ideally positioned to shape the next generation of client experience at Brands at Work.
Purves said: “Client experience isn’t owned by one department. It’s shaped by every conversation, every interaction and every promise we keep. My role is to ensure our clients experience the same care, creativity and attention to detail that goes into every piece of work we deliver.”
She added: “Brands at Work has earned an exceptional reputation for combining strategic thinking with creativity that moves people. I’m excited to build on that foundation and create an experience that clients remember just as much as the work we create together.”
Donaldson joins from LIONS Advisory (Cannes Lions), where she advised many of the world’s leading marketers and creative businesses.
After many years in Branding, she brings an extensive industry network, deep knowledge of brand strategy the creative landscape, and a strong understanding of how creativity translates into commercial success.
Her experience spanning business development, strategic partnerships and growth positions her perfectly to help accelerate Brands at Work’s next phase of expansion.
Donaldson said: “Having spent my career connecting brands, agencies and creative businesses, I’ve seen first-hand what the very best partnerships look like. Brands at Work has built an enviable reputation and, with the addition of Chorus, the breadth of the proposition is incredibly compelling.”
She added: “I’m looking forward to starting new conversations, building lasting partnerships and helping more organisations experience a different kind of agency relationship – one built on curiosity, creativity and collaboration.”
The appointments come at a pivotal moment for Brands at Work, following the acquisition of Chorus earlier this year, the continued expansion of its New York office, multiple industry award wins and a growing international client base. Together, they represent a further investment in the agency’s ambition to build deeper strategic partnerships and deliver an exceptional experience for clients.
The agency recognises that every interaction shapes how clients experience the agency – from the first chemistry meeting through onboarding, delivery and long-term partnership.
The same creativity and care that Brands at Work applies to audience experiences, is applied just as intentionally to the entire client journey. With Purves leading this, it places relationship excellence at the heart of the agency’s future growth.
Karen Kadin, founding partner of Brands at Work, said: “Clients expect more from agency partnerships than ever before. Brilliant creative work is a given, but they’re increasingly looking for partners who bring fresh perspective, challenge constructively, share meaningful insight and help them navigate an increasingly complex landscape. Those are the kinds of relationships we want to build.”
Kadin added: “Purves and Donaldson strengthen how we bring together the group’s collective capability around every client relationship. Emma will lead the experience our clients have with us every day, while Kirsten will introduce more organisations to our thinking, our ambition and the impact we can create together.”
Together, the appointments reinforce Brands at Work’s continued investment in strategic communications, creative storytelling, content-led experiences and emotion-led experiential marketing, as the agency continues to grow its integrated proposition for clients in the UK and internationally.