William Eccleshare
Design Council Chair
William has spent his career in the creative industries with a particular focus on advertising. He ran the European agency networks of Young & Rubicam (WPP) and BBDO (Omnicom Group) and, until 2022, was Global CEO of one of the world’s largest Out-of-Home Advertising businesses – Clear Channel Outdoor. During his 13-year tenure he led the digital transformation of the oldest advertising medium into a tech-driven creative powerhouse. He has a lifelong interest in how creativity and brilliance in design can build businesses and to that end spent three years at McKinsey & Co developing the firm’s marketing and branding practice.
William has extensive experience on the boards of public companies and is currently the Senior Independent Director at Britvic plc and Centaur plc. He is also a trustee of the Donmar Warehouse Theatre. William is a marathon runner, a theatre goer and an avid follower of Bruce Springsteen and European politics.
