Jordan Warren

Jordan Warren

CEO at TBD
San Francisco, United States

About me

Proven leader, manager, strategist and entrepreneur.
• Founder of idea-led creative company TBD
• Founder of two of the largest creative agencies in San Francisco, Eleven and ARGONAUT
• 22+ years running San Francisco-based advertising, digital and integrated agencies.
• Experience starting and growing agencies profitably, including start-ups, independents, regional offices, turnarounds and spinoffs.
• Digital marketing pioneer and integrated marketing practitioner since 1994.
• Passion for developing creative ideas that deliver business results.
• Won major national and global accounts including Apple, AT&T, Fitbit, Google, Hershey’s, Kodak, Levi’s, MetLife and Nike.
• Track record of building thriving cultures achieving the highest levels of client and employee satisfaction.

Sector Experience

Positions

Founder and CEO
TBD
San Francisco, United States
July 2017 - Present (7 years 4 months)
TBD is a diverse group of creative problem solvers who close the gap between innovation vision and concrete action. Partnering end-to-end, the creative company bridges from consultancy to creation for brave, forward-looking clients looking to disrupt markets or themselves. Fueled by radically different people, perspectives, and experiences, TBD is designed for flux—the response to the constant evolution of business challenges and pressures of future growth.
Founder, President
New York, United States
June 2012 - March 2016 (3 years 9 months)
Started and built one of the most successful new advertising agencies in the U.S.
• Developed business plan and secured backing from Project: WorldWide (project.com)
• Identified and hired multidisciplinary founding team.
• Orchestrated agency launch highlighted by feature story in the New York Times.
• Grew agency from scratch to 85 employees and $23 million in net revenue in less than three years.
• Established AOR relationships with AT&T (Cricket Wireless), Campari (Appleton Rum), Fitbit and MetLife as well as strategic assignments from Anheuser-Busch, Google, Hershey’s, Nike and VW (2014 Super Bowl campaign).
• Spearheaded renovation and conversion of the historic Avalon Ballroom into new HQ.
• Introduced innovative employee benefit programs, some of which have been adopted across Project: WorldWide.
• Achieved major industry recognition including being named one of Advertising Age’s Best Places to Work in 2014 (#36) and 2015 (#7), as well as one of their 10 Agencies to Watch in 2016.
President, SF Office
San Francisco, United States
May 2007 - September 2011 (4 years 4 months)
Led the turnaround of Agency.com in San Francisco beginning in 2007 by establishing a vision for the agency, integrating the organization, fostering a collaborative culture, upgrading client relationships, improving the quality of the work and driving operational and margin improvements.
• Moved the agency from production work to digitally-led, integrated marketing.
• Developed an integrated agency model combining strategy, creative, technology, media, analytics and account service across digital and traditional channels.
• Established criteria for evaluating clients and prospects and trimmed from over a dozen project-based clients, to a core set of larger, strategic client relationships.
• Added Apple and Nike to a client base that included eBay and Ask.com, with more than 70 percent of revenue coming from retained work.
• Took the agency from a 17% loss to profitability within 6 months.
• Scored highest in employee satisfaction across all Agency.com offices in all 10 categories measured. Consistently scored over 5 (out of 6) in all 10 areas surveyed by the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area competition.
President & CEO
San Francisco, United States
April 1999 - June 2006 (7 years 2 months)
Conceived, led and managed 50-person, $10 million integrated marketing communications agency. Responsible for agency management, planning, operations, business development, client relations and marketing strategy.
• Led strategy, ideation and marketing program architecture across clients. Champion of integrated marketing with industry, clients and within the agency.
• Built portfolio of innovative, integrated marketing programs including brand strategy, advertising, direct marketing, promotions, collateral, packaging, point-of-sale, interactive marketing, Web site design, event and non-traditional marketing.
• Cultivated strong agency culture leading to remarkable employee loyalty. Voted one of the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area.
• Attracted blue chip clients from across the country including Kodak, Disney, Google, Microsoft, Xerox, Barclays, Williams-Sonoma and San Francisco Tourism.
• Developed business plan and led formation of the agency including corporate documents and business licenses, lease negotiations and build-out, organization structure and staffing, financial and project management systems and processes, client contract negotiations, business development and public relations.
General Manager
CKS
United States
January 1995 - March 1999 (4 years 2 months)
San Francisco

Responsible for P&L of the largest, most profitable operation at CKS. Oversight for all online and offline marketing services for integrated marketing communications office. Managed overall business operations including client services, strategy, creative, production and business development.
• Grew business from 35 employees and $10 million in annual revenue to over 100 employees and $25 million in less than two years.
• Built a team of over 50 to support the integrated branding efforts for Apple after Steve Jobs returned in 1997. The core of this team went on to lead Apple’s in-house agency.
• Developed infrastructure including annual financial plan, organization structure, job descriptions, performance reviews, employee development and recognition, recruiting and resource allocation.
• Moved operation from project-based to long-term client relationships; agency of record for most clients; over $500,000/month in recurring retainer revenue.
• Provided oversight of all client engagements including Apple, Levi’s, Visa, General Motors, Transamerica, Sears, Nike, Pixar, Kinko’s and Pebble Beach.
• Led new business efforts, authoring most proposals, presentations and new business materials.
Marketing Executive
IBM
United States
June 1987 - December 1994 (7 years 6 months)
San Francisco Bay Area
Served in various sales, sales support, market development, product marketing and marketing communications positions over seven-plus years at IBM. Sales experience included technical sales across the Western United States in the areas of education, research, engineering and design. Served as Silicon Valley liaison for IBM/Apple/Motorola alliance and acted as principal negotiator for technology transfer agreements between IBM and Apple.

Responsible for coordinating all marketing activities leading to the announcement of major new PowerPC-based computer product line. Created and executed marketing communications plan emphasizing advertising, sales promotion and media relations. Managed all aspects of product launch at Fall COMDEX 1993 including planning, strategy, key messages, brand identity, promotion, multi-vendor management, show production and booth design.

Education

MBA in Marketing

1991 - 1994 (3 years)

BS - Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

1983 - 1987 (4 years)
Activities and Societies: Sigma Chi Fraternity

1981 - 1983 (2 years)
Redwood Bark, Editor-in-Chief

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