Recently named to Campaign‘s inaugural 40 Over 40 list, Helen Anderson, Executive Director, The Alliance of Independent Agencies, brings a fresh perspective to agency life. With a career forged as a Chief Marketing Officer, not within agencies themselves, her transition to leading The Alliance of Independent Agencies has provided valuable outsider-insider insight. Just over 100 days into the role, Helen is already struck by one defining trait of the Alliance: genuine camaraderie among competing agencies. It’s a rarity in business and one of the sector’s superpowers.
“There’s a deep sense of support across our member agencies,” Helen notes. “Even as they compete, they collaborate. That’s the independent spirit.”
Why 2025 is the Year of the Independents
Helen is clear in her conviction: this is the year of the indies. In a landscape shaped by rapid technological advancement, economic pressures, and shifting client expectations, independent agencies are uniquely positioned to succeed. Why?
Because they are:
- Faster and more responsive
- More agile, adapting quickly to market changes
- Truly independent, free from the bureaucracy of global holding companies
This independence isn’t just operational, it’s ethical. Indie agencies often act with more integrity, unencumbered by top-down mandates or rigid systems.
With 99% of the UK’s agency market made up of independents, representing some 25,000 active agencies, the opportunity is vast. But to seize it, agencies must prioritise what makes them exceptional: their people.
People First: The Core of Long-Term Success
While much of the conversation in the industry focuses on AI and tech transformation, Helen urges agencies not to lose sight of the real differentiator: their teams.
“Focus on your people. Focus on your teams. Make sure development plans are in place. Don’t skip one-to-ones. Prioritise team incentives and bring people together—in person.”
Independent agencies typically invest the majority of their spend in people. So, returns on that investment depend on how well teams are supported and developed. The Alliance helps make this possible through:
- Over 100 training courses and an accredited diploma program
- Support for homegrown talent through structured learning paths
- Emphasis on in-person interaction to maintain team culture and cohesion
Annabel Dunstan, host of the ListenBetter interview with Helen, echoed this view:
“We wholeheartedly agree that prioritising people is paramount. The Alliance’s People Pulse helps agencies track culture and sentiment because talent and culture are both major opportunities, and at times, significant challenges.”
Turning Pressure Points into Launchpads
From filling new business pipelines to keeping up with tech investments, the pressures on agencies are real. The Alliance is meeting these head-on through practical tools and peer-to-peer support, including:
- Agency Performance Pulse: offering vital industry insights
- People Pulse: benchmarking employee experience and engagement
- New platforms like the Alliance of Media Independence and the Indie Agency Club, which give a stronger collective voice to indies in both industry and government conversations
More Than Survival: A Path to Growth
The goal of the Alliance is not just to help members survive a volatile environment but to thrive in it. By championing agility, ethics, collaboration, and talent development, independent agencies can not only navigate uncertainty but also emerge stronger, smarter, and more united than ever.
Bio
Helen joined the Alliance in February 2025 as the new Executive Director, working alongside the leadership team to build, grow and drive the activities of the association set up specifically to support independent marketing, advertising, PR, production, experiential, media and communications agencies. Previously to that Helen led thenetworkone, the global independent network for agencies as their Managing Director for just under two years; she was the global lead for Marketing and Communications for the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment for the seven years before that; led the external affairs for the US Chamber of Commerce (BritishAmerican Business) in London from 2015-2016 and managed all the Open Space Trust communications, events and marketing for the City of London Corporation from 2009-2015. International membership bodies are her specialism, and she has worked with or supported other industry bodies in her career in various roles including: CIPR, CSA, CIPS, ATCM and RICS. Helen has a Masters in Leadership and Management, she is Chartered in her professional field, is on the CIM’s Ethics and Constitution Committee, a Trustee of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (soon to be a Royal College) and was Chair of the Osborne Academy Trust school in Thurrock for five years.
If you are a business owner or leader in an organisation and would like to be interviewed for the Q&R Listen.Better vodcast series in 2025 please do get in touch for an initial chat: tellmemore@questionandretain.co.uk