James Kennedy
Brand & Marketing Director, Numan
Brand identity
Brand strategy
Content strategy
Brand marketing
TV advertising
James Kennedy has built a dynamic career spanning both the advertising and social impact sectors, combining creative expertise with a passion for driving positive change. His experience ranges from developing world-renowned brands to establishing successful operations in the developing world, all while producing content across multiple formats that truly matters.
In the first decade of his career, James worked with top advertising agencies in London and Sydney, where he built strong client relationships and significantly grew revenues—tripling one account in just three years. His diverse portfolio includes running digital accounts for the Australian government, leading major TV campaigns for Cadbury’s Dairy Milk (UK), building virtual worlds for Budweiser, and delivering integrated campaigns for Tesco.
In 2016, James transitioned to the social good sector with Girl Effect, a nonprofit empowering adolescent girls through media and brands. Tasked with launching a new entity in Malawi, he founded Zathu, building the brand and a team from scratch. Under his leadership, Zathu achieved 67% national awareness and 25% weekly listenership within its first year, earning global recognition. James managed a team of 34 with a £2.5 million budget, producing a wide range of content while also leading high-level stakeholder engagement with government officials and overseeing board meetings.
After two years in Malawi, he returned to London as Global Director of GE Creative, overseeing multi-format content across six offices worldwide. Since 2019, James has embraced the startup world, first at Prodigy Finance, a fintech democratizing global access to education, and now at Numan, the UK’s leading digital healthcare platform for men. In both roles, he has balanced immediate growth targets with long-term brand strategy, while building and optimizing in-house teams.
