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Christopher Kenna

Founder & CEO

Brand Advance Group

New York, NY, USA

Christopher Kenna

City & Provincial Properties Plc

Brendan Kennedy

Christopher’s Biography

Christopher Kenna is Chairman, Founder and CEO (North America) of Brand Advance Group which encompasses Brand Advance Group EUROPE & BA Diversity Media USA, a Startups Top 100 company for the past three years. The firm successfully aligns brands with diverse communities worldwide.

Brand Advance Group was awarded Campaign 2021 Media Business of the Year and The DRUM Diversity & Inclusion Company of the Year 2021.

Christopher is a member of the WFA Diversity Board. He is also on the advisory boards for ITV, TikTok, London Metropolitan Police Force and the V&A Museum. As a mixed race, out gay father, Christopher is a strong advocate and role model for diversity within advertising and media.

The recipient of many awards for his entrepreneurship, Christopher won the Innovator of the Year Award at the second annual Ex-Forces in Business Awards and was recently named on EMPower’s 100 Ethnic Minority Executives 2020 and OUTstanding’s Top 100 LGBT+ Executives. Christopher Kenna is Chairman, Founder and CEO (North America) of Brand Advance Group which encompasses Brand Advance Group EUROPE & BA Diversity Media USA, a Startups Top 100 company for the past three years. The firm successfully aligns brands with diverse communities worldwide.

Brand Advance Group was awarded Campaign 2021 Media Business of the Year and The DRUM Diversity & Inclusion Company of the Year 2021.

Christopher is a member of the WFA Diversity Board. He is also on the advisory boards for ITV, TikTok, London Metropolitan Police Force and the V&A Museum. As a mixed race, out gay father, Christopher is a strong advocate and role model for diversity within advertising and media.

The recipient of many awards for his entrepreneurship, Christopher won the Innovator of the Year Award at the second annual Ex-Forces in Business Awards and was recently named on EMPower’s 100 Ethnic Minority Executives 2020 and OUTstanding’s Top 100 LGBT+ Executives.

Christopher’s Newsfeed

London News Today

British LGBT Awards 2023: Shortlist announced including Harry Styles and Sir Rod Stewart - full list

The shortlist for the British LGBT Awards 2023 has been announced and Chris Kenna from Brand Advance has been nominated on the list of LGBT+ trailblazers.

Gay Star News

Brand Advance Group Hires New CEO

Brand Advance Group announced that Chris Kenna has become CEO North America after handing over the European CEO reigns to the experienced Deborah Gbadamosi.

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Christopher’s Background

Brand Advance Group

Founder & CEO

Dec 2018 - Present

London, UK

Brand Advance Group is a leading advertising company that assists the world's biggest brands and organisations in connecting with diverse communities through diversity media, technology and insights.

Gen B Mag

Publisher

May 2021 - Present

London, UK

Gen B is a Black-owned magazine that features interviews with talent in the music industry written by Black Generation Z writers and allies.

Chapter Z Magazine

Publisher

Sep 2020 - Present

London, UK

Chapter Z Magazine is an online publication dedicated to educating, captivating, and uplifting its audience.

Conscious Advertising Network

Director of Industry Bodies

Jun 2020 - Present

London, UK

The Conscious Advertising Network is a non-profit collaboration of more 70 organisations formed to make sure that industry ethics catches up with current advertising technology.

DECA Media Consultancy

Founder & CEO

Jun 2020 - Present

London, UK

Part of the Brand Advance Group, DECA is a tech platform that provides insights, data and current trends across diverse communities. Its consultancy team works with agencies and brands to understand the consumer consumption of minority groups.

Sentiment Live

Founder & CEO

May 2020 - Present

London, UK

Sentiment Live is a Brand Advance Group market research company that uses contextual sentiment and data intelligence to better understand content created by and for diverse groups in order to deliver fair and inclusive brand safety, and data and insight on diverse communities.

BA Diversity Media Inc

CEO

New York, NY, USA

BA Diversity Media Inc is an advertising services company based in New York City. It includes Brand Advance's Diversity Media Network, Creative Hub, and Data & Insights subsidiaries.

Outvertising

Director of Diversity & Inclusion

Oct 2018 - Present

London, UK

Outvertising is a non-profit LGBTQ+ marketing and advertising advocacy organisation. It is composed of industry volunteers working to advance LGBTQ+ equality, promote more positive LGBTQ+ advertising representation, and highlight positive LGBTQ+ role models.

GAY TIMES

Commercial Director

May 2017 - Dec 2017

London, UK

GAY TIMES is an LGBTQ+ media brand founded in 1975. Initially a gay and bisexual men's magazine, the corporation now contains LGBTQ+ content across a variety of outlets.

DOOH.com

Creative Account Director

Nov 2015 - Apr 2017

London, UK

DOOH.com is a creative studio focused on digital advertising. Christopher developed a new inhouse creative department, formulated new agency relationships to assist incoming briefs, and much more in his role as Creative Account Director at DOOH.com. He was also a Digital Producer at the company from November 2015 to October 2016.

SDMC Productions

Managing Director

Nov 2010 - Jul 2015

Manchester, UK

SDMC Productions is a drama and entertainment production business located in Manchester that focuses on the production and development of entertainment, drama and documentaries.

The British Army

Serviceman

Jul 1999 - Apr 2006

London, UK

Founded in 1660, The British Army, along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, constitutes the United Kingdom's primary land warfare force.

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Christopher’s Gallery

Advisory Roles

TikTok

Advisory Board Member

TikTok enables consumers to create and share cell phone videos of 15 seconds duration for others to watch.

Adoreum Partners

Senior Advisor

Feb 2021 - Present

New York, NY, USA

Adoreum Partners is a corporate and business development firm that guides, invests in and develops companies in the lifestyle, technology, luxury, financial services, health and wellness, and media sectors.

Other Business Interests

British LGBT Awards 2022

Judge

Chris will be on the Judging Committee of the British LGBT Awards 2022 in June. The awards show was established in 2014 with the goal of focusing on role models and groups that work endlessly to better the needs of the LGBT+ community.

D&AD Awards 2020

Media Jury Judge

London, UK

D&AD is an international design and advertising membership association, awards programme, and educational charity. It encourages, stimulates and acknowledges innovative excellence in business communication.

Current Board Positions

Brand Advance Group

Chairman

Dec 2018 - Present

London, UK

Brand Advance Group is a prominent advertising firm that helps brands and associations achieve diverse communities at scale with authenticity by leveraging diversity media, technology and different perspectives.

Current Advisory Roles

ITV plc

Member of the Diversity Advisory Board

Sep 2021 - Present

London, UK

ITV is a leading Broadcast Media Production and Distribution company based in London. With an expanding global footprint, the firm has the largest commercial group of networks in the UK.

Metropolitan Police Force

Advisory Board Member

Jul 2021 - Present

London, UK

Christopher is a Member of the Community Communications Advisory Group of the Metropolitan Police Service. The organisation is well-known throughout the world and holds a special place in policing heritage.

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Media

Passion & Hustle Podcast: Episode 8: Christopher Kenna

Podcast Guest

Dec 2021

Christopher delves into Brand Advance Group's mission, his career journey, and much more in this episode of the Passion & Hustle podcast.

My Career Story: Christopher Kenna (He/Him), CEO at Brand Advance

Podcast Guest

Oct 2021

In this episode of My Career Story, Christopher Kenna joins Steve Keith to talk about his career journey, his time in the British Army, how he got involved in the media and advertising industry, and more.

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Interviews

Chris Kenna speaks on diversity in the media sphere

Interviewee

Apr 2021

In this interview, Chris speaks about diversity in the media world and shifts that have recently taken place.

Chris Kenna on How Brands Can Authentically Work With LGBTQ+ Creators and Take Action

Interviewee

Sep 2020

In this Talking Influence interview, Chris Kenna, Founder and CEO of Brand Advance, discusses how brands can intervene during times of societal debate and give LGBTQ+ groups a voice.

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Features

Chris Kenna's Brand Advance unveils diversity-focused creative division

Quoted

Feb 2021

Christopher shares more about the launch of Brand Advance Creative, a BA division focused on better representing groups within advertising.

Have you taken the global ad industry’s first diversity and inclusion survey? The deadline is extended

Quoted

Jul 2021

The World Federation of Advertisers initiates the first worldwide census of the advertising and marketing sectors, with the goal of providing information to improve inclusion, diversity and equity.

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Memberships

WFA - World Federation of Advertisers

Member of D&I Task Force

May 2020 - Present

Brussels, WI, USA

The World Federation of Advertisers' Diversity and Inclusion Task Force is a multinational network of the world's top marketers who have come together to push inclusivity in workplaces in order to optimise the industry's advances on diversity.

Awards & Recognition

iList 2022

Nominee

Feb 2022

Christopher was shortlisted for the IPA iList 2022 which celebrates persons who are developing advertising for the better through their contributions to inclusivity and diversity.

The Media Leaders Awards 2021

Award Recipient

Jan 2021

Christopher was awarded the Judges Special Choice Award in The Media Leaders Awards 2021 from Mediatel.

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Speaking Engagements

Ideas Fest

Speaker

Aug 2022

Wickham, UK

Christopher will be a speaker at the Ideas Fest taking place 3 and 4 August 2022.

Distuptive Minds

Speaker

Mar 2022

London, UK

Chris was invited to speak at Disruptive Minds, a taskforce which supports small companies with discussions on how to flourish and develop in difficult times in 2022 and beyond.

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Christopher’s Education

Royal School of Signals

Area Systems Operator (CIS)

2003 - 2004