IPA adds to England and Wales leadership team

As IPA Chair for England & Wales, Sue will act as a figurehead for IPA member agencies in England (outside London) and in Wales, working closely with the team of IPA City Heads to champion the outstanding talent in the advertising community and support Karen Martin’s agenda to reaffirm the power of creativity as IPA President.

Since 2023, Sue has served as IPA City Head for Manchester & the North West. Gemma Longfellow, Chief People Officer at Open Partners, has been appointed as her successor.

As City Head, Gemma will serve as a figurehead and voice for the industry in the area, championing the outstanding talent in the advertising community and driving collaboration, thought leadership and engagement. She will also work closely with the other IPA City Heads and the Chairs for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on wider industry issues and IPA initiatives.

Says Sue Benson, CEO and Founder Trustee, The Behaviours Agency:

"I am thrilled to take on the role of IPA Chair for England and Wales to continue celebrating the outstanding talent across our regional hubs. Karen Martin’s focus on the power of creativity is exactly what our industry needs right now, and I’m particularly looking forward to interviewing her in April. It’s going to be a joy working with Gemma to support and challenge our brilliant Manchester agency community.”

Says Gemma Longfellow, Chief People Officer, Open Partners:

"I’m honoured to represent our region’s agencies as the IPA City Head. During this time of significant change for both agencies and clients, it is vital that we learn and adapt together to shape the future of our industry. I look forward to working alongside Sue and the IPA team to champion the North-West's voice, ensuring we continue to build world-class support, training, and resources to help members thrive."

Commenting on the appointments, IPA Director of Membership Tom Mott said:

“I’m delighted that Sue will be our new Chair for England & Wales. She has been an invaluable part of the IPA community as City Head for Manchester in recent years, and I have no doubt that she will continue to bring the same passion to her new role as Chair.

“I am also excited to welcome Gemma to the team as City Head. Everything we do is focused on bringing the best out of our members, and I am looking forward to working with Gemma to best serve our brilliant agency community around Manchester and the North West.”

Sue Benson biography:

Sue Benson has spent over 20 years building a business defined by its people and its unique ability to influence consumer behaviour. As the driving force behind The Behaviours Agency, she has pioneered an approach that moves beyond simple awareness to address the "Motivation Gap"—the space between a brand being noticed and being truly wanted.

Under Sue’s leadership, the agency has evolved into a category of one, recently transitioning to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). This landmark move reflects her deep commitment to protecting the agency’s independent spirit and ensuring that the future of the business remains in the hands of those who built its reputation.

A staunch advocate for B Corp principles and IPA standards, Sue believes that creativity is the ultimate commercial "unfair advantage". Her mission is clear: to help ambitious marketing leaders create work that is undeniably relevant and totally unignorable.

Sue is incredibly active in the advertising and business community, she’s member of WACL, a board advisor for social enterprise - Sow The City, the MPA and the Alliance of Independent Agencies.

Gemma Longfellow biography:

Gemma Longfellow is a senior strategic leader with over 15 years of experience driving cultural and operational excellence within the creative and media sectors. Currently serving as Chief People Officer at Open Partners, Gemma operates on the Executive Board to align talent strategy with commercial growth. Her current role follows a successful tenure as Managing Partner at Ear to the Ground, where she established the talent and cultural strategy that underpinned the agency’s rapid scale-up, including the development of a comprehensive, agency-wide learning curriculum.

A graduate of the Oxford Executive Diploma in Organisational Leadership (Saïd Business School), Gemma is a passionate advocate for lifelong learning and the support of grassroots talent, as well as a believer in coaching and mentoring at all levels. This commitment led her to establish cross-industry senior leadership communities, fostering a space for collaborative growth and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.

Gemma specialises in applying academic rigour and trend mapping to the creative industry. She is currently authoring two books focused on the future of leadership: the first exploring how to harness misalignment and ambiguity to drive creativity, and the second providing a framework for mitigating bias within the workplace. A dedicated champion of professional standards, Gemma focuses on the intersection of human capital, inclusive leadership, and strategic business success.