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Christopher Kenna

Founder & CEO

Brand Advance Group

New York, NY, USA

Christopher Kenna
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City & Provincial Properties Plc
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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.
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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 logo Metropolitan Police Force logo
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 logo Royal School of Signals logo
Royal School of Signals
Area Systems Operator (CIS)
2003 - 2004