laura jones
chief strategy officer
strategist
feminist
data geek
c-suite mommy
Defying Expectations
Laura’s a Chief Strategy Officer on a mission to transform data-driven branding one bit at a time.
She’s quant-minded with a penchant for poetry. Commercially savvy and creatively inspired.
A writer, enthusiastic yogi, girl mom, Girl Scout Leader and change maker.
woman in analytics
Laura’s passion for the intersection of data and creativity, commercial leadership and her resilient and positive leadership style catapulted her through the glass ceiling into the C-Suite.
In 2020 she was appointed Chief Strategy Officer of BAV Group, the world's leading authority on data driven-branding and VMLY&R’s brand analytics consultancy. As BAV Group's first female leader, she launched an agile transformation effort to retool and scale up the longest running and largest global study of brands in the world to make it accessible to all of WPP’s clients and employees.
Most recently, she is helming the global expansion of the agency's marketing consulting practice into North America as a Global Managing Partner.
Global Transformation
Laura the Chief Strategy Officer for BAV Group, a VML consultancy.
After leading the transformation process that expanded BrandAsset Valuator® from a niche product used by a few hundred people at Y&R to a global product utilized by thousands of WPP employees worldwide, she has turned her attention to fully to helping brands transform “brand growth” to brand = growth.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Laura is an active thought leader in the industry, supporting diversity and inclusion through speaking and research.
Selected appearances include:
IN THE NEWS
Laura is also a frequent contributor to articles for industry publications like LBB, The Drum, Ad Age, and Digiday as well as the BAV Group blog.
Recent Articles Include:
- A Pink, Plastic Paradigm Shift (LBB)
- Beauty Brands at the Super Bowl (Digiday)
- Rethinking Brand Value (BAV Group)
- The Enduring Power of Brand Barbie (BAV Group)
Parenting in AdLand
Laura led VMLY&R’s partnership with the 3% Movement to design and execute the seminal “Parenting in Adland” study, which uncovered what it’s like to be a parent in advertising. It’s particularly important to note that this research included both men and women to break through the bias that caregiving is a “women’s issue.”
Laura co-presented the results at the 3% Conference in 2018 and orchestrated a group of “dads in advertising” to share their stories in the spirit of uniting men and women in the discussion
Check out the study at http://www.parentinginadland.com/
Industry involvement and Mentoring
Throughout her career, Laura has given back as well as participated in learning and growth through a variety of mentorship programs across the industry.
Institute for Real Growth
As a member of the Initiative for Real Growth, a cross-WPP thought leadership council, Laura contributed to the development of research and an industry-leading growth framework that will drive impact for clients globally.
Learn more at https://instituteforrealgrowth.com/
Community Volunteer and Activist
Laura is an active member of her community in Chatham, NJ, where she is a volunteer in the following organizations:
- Girl Scout Daisy Troop Leader, Troop #97418
- Girls’ recreation soccer coach
- Stanley Preschool Board Member
- Washington Avenue School Book Fair Chair
- Ward 7 District Leader and volunteer poll worker
Additionally, she has represented her friends and neighbors as a speaker at various school board and town council meetings in the hopes of positively influencing programs and outcomes for students and residents.
