Britt Nolan, president and chief creative officer, Leo Burnett, Chicago

“Lessons From a Person Who Definitely Has it all Figured Out”

Britt Nolan probably shouldn’t even work in advertising. After graduating without honors from Ithaca College in 2001, Nolan somehow weaseled his way into the industry and spent the better part of the next decade floating unremarkably from agency to agency, making stuff that can only be described as: “Whatever.” Then, in 2009, something changed. As luck would have it, he landed a job at Leo Burnett Chicago. 

There, he began a long run of always being at the right place at the right time. Over the next 10 years, Nolan would manage to attach his name to one massively successful campaign after another, inexplicably taking home top trophies in nearly every international award show. How he became named to the AAF Hall of Achievement in 2019 is quite literally beyond comprehension.

After a 2-year stint as North America Chief Creative Officer for DDB, Nolan recently rejoined Leo Burnett as president and chief creative officer. Proving once and for all that life doesn’t always make sense.