LONDON — Axicom, Burson’s specialist technology agency, has created a new global role for EMEA president Kate Stevens, who becomes the firm’s first global chief experience officer (CXO).

Stevens (pictured, right) steps into the new role after becoming EMEA president in 2020 after 13 years at Axicom. She told PRovoke Media the new CXO role played to her strengths and passions: “Culture has always been the thing that kept me alive, and since I took on my previous role, culture and connectivity have been so important.

“Becoming CXO will mean I can focus on shaping our client relationships and growth. Career paths don’t have to go in predictable directions, and it’s great to work for a company that has helped me find the perfect role for me.”

Stevens added: “What makes Axicom special is our people and our culture of curiosity, and that connective tissue between our teams across three continents. I want to ensure our clients experience that culture and connectivity as we feel it: we’re more than an agency with offices across multiple markets, we’re a deeply connected passionate team.”

Axicom global CEO Matt Lackie (pictured, centre) told PRovoke Media that CXO was “not just a title, it's the future of agency success.” He said: “We’ve been working hard to move Axicom forward in a more progressive global direction – we’ve had double digit growth this year and big wins [including Zendesk] that will help us scale the business and invest in talent, as well as the addition of Brazil and Mexico.

“We sat down with the global leadership team to look at the next chapter and how we continue to grow the business, to enable us to pitch and win more sophisticated client briefs, push the work forward, maintain and scale our culture, and make it real for clients. I’m a big believer that you can and should build a strong culture alongside a successful business, and I want to make sure we’re doubling down on that, and that we leverage Kate’s superpowers.”

Lackie added: “In a world of agencies saturated with similar services and similar jargon, fostering a distinct and positive client and employee experience is what differentiates the good from the great. Kate’s leadership in this role will ensure Axicom stands at the front of the industry, setting the standard high impact work while cultivating lasting relationships built on shared values and exceptional experiences.”

Axicom has appointed a new European leader from outside the business, who will be announced next month.

The agency has also created another senior global role of chief people officer, hiring Laura Pettitt, who will also be based in London and will work closely with Stevens on the culture element of the new CXO role.

Pettitt (pictured, left) started her career in recruitment in 2006 and joins Axicom from inclusive clothing retailer Snag, where she was chief culture officer. She has also held senior people roles at News UK and DNA Payments Group.

UK managing director Rosie Bannister – who added global marketing and growth to her role in February – said: “Laura is passionate about culture, learning, and development. She dives headfirst into crafting amazing employee experiences, bringing a treasure chest of knowledge from diverse industries. Her fresh perspective is helping us build an employee experience that doesn't just meet expectations – it blows them out of the water.

"With her track record of transforming companies into "employers of choice" and championing inclusion and DEE&I, we're absolutely buzzing about the future and the positive impact she's going to make.”

Axicom was named as PRovoke Media’s best EMEA agency to work for earlier this year.