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Andrew Essex

Founder & CEO

GoingConcern

New York, NY, USA

Andrew Essex
John Ertman
Ertman Dulis & Helisek PLLC
Mike Ettling
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Andrew Essex’s Biography

Andrew Essex is the Founder & CEO of GoingConcern, a consultancy that advises C-suite clients on matters pertaining to relevance, revenue, relationships and reputation. He is the former CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, the parent company of the Tribeca Film Festival, and founding CEO of Droga5, a world-renowned creative agency, which was acquired for a record multiple by William Morris Endeavor in 2013 and sold again to Accenture in 2019.

A highly creative strategic executive with 30+ years in marketing, media, technology, events, content, business development, hospitality and M&A, Andrew is a proven entrepreneurial leader and culture builder with multiple exits, high-profile turnaround experience and world-class relationships, skilled in recruiting, retaining and managing talent and overseeing complex P&Ls, and a rainmaker with an extensive track record of generating high-margin revenue, crafting compelling narratives and operating complex enterprises in competitive markets.

Andrew is a frequent public speaker on media, marketing and monetization strategies and sits on the boards...
Andrew Essex is the Founder & CEO of GoingConcern, a consultancy that advises C-suite clients on matters pertaining to relevance, revenue, relationships and reputation. He is the former CEO of Tribeca Enterprises, the parent company of the Tribeca Film Festival, and founding CEO of Droga5, a world-renowned creative agency, which was acquired for a record multiple by William Morris Endeavor in 2013 and sold again to Accenture in 2019.

A highly creative strategic executive with 30+ years in marketing, media, technology, events, content, business development, hospitality and M&A, Andrew is a proven entrepreneurial leader and culture builder with multiple exits, high-profile turnaround experience and world-class relationships, skilled in recruiting, retaining and managing talent and overseeing complex P&Ls, and a rainmaker with an extensive track record of generating high-margin revenue, crafting compelling narratives and operating complex enterprises in competitive markets.

Andrew is a frequent public speaker on media, marketing and monetization strategies and sits on the boards of The AdCouncil, iPic Entertainment and Plus Pool. He is the Chair of the NYC Mayor’s Creative Council, and a former advisor to the White House American Office of Innovation and the Wharton SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management. He serves as an angel investor and advisor to top disruptive companies and prominent unicorns.

He is also an award-winning journalist and cultural editor at such publications as The New Yorker, Details and Salon.com, among others, and has been a television commentator for ABC, CNN and CNBC. He is author of “The End of Advertising: Why It Had to Die and the Creative Resurrection to Come” and co-author of three books: "A Very Public Offering: The Story of the Globe.com,” “Chasing Cool,” with former Barney’s CEO Gene Pressman, and “Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny,” with producer and musician Nile Rodgers.
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Andrew Essex’s Newsfeed

The New York Times
And Now, a Word From Your Streaming Sponsor …

Commenting on the new embrace of advertising by streaming services, Andrew Essex says this is "basically game on” as companies are looking for more revenue and additional forms of monetization.

Student Leadership Network
Student Leadership Network Welcomes Newest Board Members

Andrew Essex has been appointed to join Student Leadership Network's Board of Directors.

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Andrew Essex’s Background

GoingConcern
Founder & CEO
2021 - Present
New York, NY, USA
GoingConcern is a consultancy that advises C-suite clients on matters pertaining to relevance, revenue, relationships and reputation. The firm helps executives streamline important business functions and improve relationships across complex enterprises.
Tribeca Enterprises
CEO
Jan 2016 - Dec 2017
New York, NY, USA
Tribeca Enterprises is a global media company engaging in the entertainment industry and based in New York City.
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Andrew Essex’s Gallery

Advisory Roles

Glasswing Ventures
Advisor
Oct 2020 - Present
Boston, MA, USA
Glasswing Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in cutting edge technology and AI startups.

Current Board Positions

Student Leadership Network
Board of Directors
Dec 2021 - Present
New York, NY, USA
Student Leadership Network is a nonprofit organization that seeks to support the education and academic growth of young people in disenfranchised communities through prominent programs.
IPIC
Board of Directors
Nov 2018 - Present
Boca Raton, FL, USA
IPIC is a luxury restaurant-and-movie theater brand based in the US.
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Previous Board Positions

Ad Council
Board of Directors
New York, NY, USA
The Advertising Council is a non-profit organization that facilitates collaboration between creative people and businesses to create advertising to inspire action on the main social issues in America.
Venture for America
Board of Directors
New York, NY, USA
Venture for America is a network of and community for aspiring entrepreneurs and start-up leaders.
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Previous Advisory Roles

Wharton SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management
Advisor
Philadelphia, PA, USA
The SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management served as a source of bold ideas and innovative thinking in management development over a period of 3 decades.
The White House
Advisor to the Office of American Innovation
Washington, DC, USA
Andrew was Advisor to the Office of American Innovation contributing to recommendations made to the President aimed at improving the US Government operations and services and improving the quality of life for Americans whilst creating job opportunities.

Media

The Washington Post releases first national brand campaign
Oct 2021
Washington, DC, USA
Andrew Essex, CEO of GoingConcern, worked with The Washington Post to create its first nation brand campaign that is aired on national television to highlight the importance of journalism and The Post's position in the modern world.
Advertisers Look To Capitalize on the Metaverse Hype
Oct 2021
New York, NY, USA
Andrew Essex was featured in an article by Business Insider titled "Advertisers Look To Capitalize on the Metaverse Hype."
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Interviews

Andrew Essex: 'The industry is ripe for reinvention'
Sep 2019
New York, NY, USA
Andrew Essex speaks with AdAge about his vision of the future of the marketing and media industries.
Tell Us 5 Things About Your Book: ‘The End of Advertising’
Jun 2017
New York, NY, USA
Andrew highlights aspects of his book, “The End of Advertising: Why It Had to Die, and the Creative Resurrection to Come” in this interview with John Williams.

Publications

Why Every Product Needs a Great Brand Story
Author
Jun 2020
New York, NY, USA
In this article, Andrew Essex, Founder & CEO of GoingConcern, addresses the oft-asked question that too many people in business ask: Isn't my product the most important thing? He goes on to discuss the importance of a good brand story that grabs people's attention. A series of product attributes, he says, is not the same thing.
The End of Advertising: Why It Had to Die, and the Creative Resurrection to Come
Author
Jun 2017
Andrew's book predicts "an end to advertising as we know it" and suggests that the future of advertising will look very different and require an adjustment from the creative minds that feed the industry.
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Memberships

American Advertising Federation
Corporate Board Member
Jan 2013 - Present
Washington, DC, USA
American Advertising Federation (AAF) is an organization of advertising industry professionals across all disciplines and career levels.

Speaking Engagements

Advertising's Responsibility For Online Civility
Featured Speaker
Mar 2021
At the Digitally United: Closing the Gaps in a Techonomic World event presented by Techonomy, Andrew Essex discusses the role of advertising in how social media operates and the responsibility advertisers have in changing the way social media behaves in order to restore online civility.
The SynZenBe Show: Communicating Core Values Insight and Out
Webinar
Jul 2020
Andrew Essex, Founder & CEO of GoingConcern, and Toby Usnik, Founder of Philanthropic Impact Partners, join host Simon Collins to discuss how effective leader can instill and promote a clear vision of a company’s mission and values, from the top of the organization to the bottom.
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Community Engagement

City of New York
Chairman of The Mayor’s Creative Council
May 2019 - Present
New York, NY, USA
Andrew is Chairman of the Creative Council consisting of creative leaders from a host of marketing, advertising and media companies with the view to harness their talent and energy to connect New Yorkers to information, resources and initiatives.

Andrew Essex’s Education

New York University
BA & MA | English