Andrew Essex

Essex holds a Bachelor of Arts degree{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/tribeca-enterprises-andrew-essex-jane-rosenthal-1201673981/ |title=Tribeca Enterprises Taps Andrew Essex as CEO|date=January 7, 2016 }} and a Master of Arts degree in American literature from New York University.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/01/tribeca-enterprises-names-andrew-essex-as-new-ceo-1201677483/ |title=Andrew Essex Named CEO Of Tribeca Enterprises|date=January 7, 2016 }} He began his career as a journalist and wrote pieces for The New Yorker in the 1990s.{{cite web|url=http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20160404/ENTERTAINMENT/160409992/former-journalist-andrew-essex-plans-to-transform-tribeca-film-festival-into-a-year-round-venture |title= Former journalist plans to transform Tribeca Film Festival into a year-round affair}} Later, he held editorial posts at Entertainment Weekly, Salon.com as well as The New Yorker{{cite web|url=http://adage.com/article/agencies/droga5-veteran-andrew-essex-named-ceo-tribeca-enterprises/302038/ |title=Droga5 Veteran Andrew Essex Named CEO of Tribeca Enterprises}} and served as a consultant for the launch of US Weekly magazine.{{cite web|url=http://www.prhspeakers.com/speaker/andrew-essex|title= CEO of Tribeca Enterprises and former CEO of world-renowned creative agency Droga5}}

In August 2002, Essex was promoted to executive editor of Details magazine.{{cite web|title= Essex Gets Promoted |date=August 6, 2002 |url=https://wwd.com/business-news/media/memo-pad-754737/}} At Details, he oversaw the magazine’s branding of the metrosexual phenomenon.{{cite web|url=https://tribecafilm.com/press-center/press-releases/andrew-essex-named-ceo-of-tribeca-enterprises |title= Andrew Essex Named CEO of Tribeca Enterprises | publisher = Tribeca Film Festival | accessdate = January 22, 2020}} While looking for advertising executives to include in Details magazine's 2002 annual power list, he met David Droga who was then the worldwide creative director of agency Publicis Worldwide. In 2004, Essex left Details magazine and became the editor in chief of Absolute, a luxury magazine.

During Essex's tenure at Absolute, Droga and Essex kept in touch and often shared their views on how their respective industries were flawed. After working for several years, both wanted to start an entrepreneurial venture so they began working on ideas. Essex left Absolute in 2005 and the next year the two founded Droga5, an advertising agency.{{cite web|title= The New Don Drapers: Hollywood Comes Calling for Droga5 |website=The New York Observer |date=September 11, 2013 |url=http://observer.com/2013/09/the-new-don-drapers-hollywood-comes-calling-for-droga5/}}

Shortly after joining Droga5, Essex was named its CEO. Under his leadership, the agency created UNICEF Tap Project and The Great Schlep of 2008.{{cite web |url=https://www.greatestgood.org/andrewessex |title=Andrew Essex – CEO Tribeca Enterprises |access-date=January 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118222524/https://www.greatestgood.org/andrewessex |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |url-status=dead }} In April 2013, Essex became the Vice Chairman of Droga5 after serving as CEO for five years.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=12071546&capId=42408768&previousCapId=272165883&previousTitle=Cain%20Hoy%20Enterprises|title=Andrew Essex Biography|website=Bloomberg News }} He stepped down from the position of Vice Chairman and left the company in July 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/david-droga-talks-management-moves-148680 |title=David Droga Talks Management Moves|date=April 18, 2013 }}

In January 2016, Essex joined Tribeca Enterprises as its CEO.{{cite web | url = https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/01/07/tribeca-film-festival-company-names-andrew-essex-chief-executive/ | work = The New York Times | title = Tribeca Film Festival Company Names Andrew Essex Chief Executive| date = January 7, 2016 | accessdate = November 20, 2018}} In October 2017, Essex stepped down as CEO of Tribeca Enterprises.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2017/10/andrew-essex-tribeca-enterprises-ceo-jane-rosenthal-1202181282/ |title=Andrew Essex Steps Down As CEO Of Tribeca Enterprises|date=October 3, 2017 }}

As of 2018 Essex sits on the board of the American Advertising Federation,{{cite web| url= http://www.aaf.org/AAFMemberR/Who_We_Are/Governance/Board_of_Directors/Board_of_Directors.aspx | title= Who We Are}} Friends of + Pool, the iHeart Media Creative Advisory Counsel,{{cite web|url=http://www.iheartmedia.com/Pages/Berlin-School-and-Clear-Channel-Launch-Competition-for-Leadership-in-Audio-Innovation---Winner-Receives-Full-Tuition-Schola.aspx|title=Berlin School and Clear Channel Launch Competition for Leadership in Audio Innovation – Winner Receives Full-Tuition Scholarship To Attend Berlin School Global EMBA Program|access-date=2017-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118231700/http://www.iheartmedia.com/Pages/Berlin-School-and-Clear-Channel-Launch-Competition-for-Leadership-in-Audio-Innovation---Winner-Receives-Full-Tuition-Schola.aspx|archive-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead}} and iPic Entertainment.{{cite web|url=http://ventureforamerica.org/about-us/board-advisors/|title=Board Advisors}}{{cite web|url=http://www.talkforumnyc.com/2013/07/12/meet-andrew-essex-co-founder-and-vice-chairman-of-droga5/|title= Meet Andrew Essex, Co-founder and Chairman of Droga 5.}}{{cite web|url = https://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2018/11/15/ipic-names-new-board-member.html | title = IPic names new board member | publisher = South Florida Business Journal | accessdate = November 29, 2018}} Essex is also the chair of the Mayor of New York City's Creative Council.{{cite web | url = https://www.campaignlive.com/article/put-politics-aside-celebrate-nyc-mayors-new-creative-coalition/1584178 | publisher = Campaign Collective | title = Put politics aside and celebrate NYC mayor's new creative coalition | accessdate = May 16, 2019}}

In 2018 Essex founded creative holding company Plan A along with CEO and cofounder MT Carney.{{cite web | url = https://www.adweek.com/creativity/former-droga5-ceo-and-untitled-worldwide-founder-form-new-holding-company/ | publisher = AdWeek | title = Former Droga5 CEO and Untitled Worldwide Founder Form New Holding Company| date = June 19, 2018 | accessdate = November 20, 2018}}{{cite web | url = https://adage.com/article/podcast-ad-lib/plan-andrew-essex-industry-ripe-reinvention/2196461| publisher = AdAge | title = Plan A's Andrew Essex: 'The industry is ripe for reinvention| accessdate = January 23, 2020}} Plan A, a federation of agencies, merged firms Van's General Store, Untitled Worldwide, Twin Studio, and Beekman Social for a combined $70 million in revenues.{{cite web | url = https://www.businessinsider.com/plan-adds-four-more-ad-firms-to-its-agency-collective-2020-1?IR=T| publisher = Business Insider | title = Advertising vets MT Carney and Andrew Essex add four more firms to their ad holding company Plan A, boosting its headcount to 280 and revenue to $50 million| accessdate = January 23, 2020}} In 2020, Chapter, Tether, The New New Thing and TwoFiveSix joined Plan A.{{cite web | url = https://adage.com/article/agency-news/plan-adds-tether-chapter-twofivesix-and-new-new-thing-its-network/2230296 | publisher = AdAge | title = Plan A adds Tether, Chapter, Twofivesix, and The New New Thing to its network| accessdate = January 23, 2020}}{{cite web | url = https://www.adweek.com/agencies/agency-network-plan-a-expands-with-four-new-additions/ | publisher = Adweek | title = Agency Network Plan A Expands With Four New Additions| date = January 23, 2020 | accessdate = January 23, 2020}} Essex recruited CAA founder Michael Ovitz along with Ben Lerer, Alexis Ohanian and Michael Kassan as investors and advisors. Regarding Essex's combined firm, Ovitz said: "I've always made my decisions based on two factors: intellectual analysis and my gut. When they meet that's a go for me." In late 2018 the company debuted what Adweek called "a bright, poppy brand campaign" for online shoe retailer, Zappos.{{cite web | url = https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/zappos-touts-its-customer-service-in-bright-poppy-brand-campaign-from-plan-a/ | publisher = Adweek | title = Zappos Touts Its Customer Service in Bright, Poppy Brand Campaign From Plan A| date = December 4, 2018 | accessdate = May 16, 2019}} In March 2019, Campaign Live reported that Plan A added Sabrina Yu, who worked for over a decade between branding agency Select World and as a director at Svedka Vodka, as its managing director.{{cite web | url = https://www.campaignlive.com/article/plan-continues-grow-hire-sabrina-yu/1578153 | publisher = Campaign Live | title = Plan A continues to grow with hire of Sabrina Yu| accessdate = May 16, 2019}}

Essex is author of The End of Advertising: Why It Had to Die and the Creative Resurrection to Come and the co-author of three books: A Very Public Offering: The Story of the Globe.com, Chasing Cool, with former Barney’s CEO Gene Pressman, and Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny, with musician Nile Rodgers.{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/nov/06/nile-rodgers-le-freak-family | work = The Guardian | title = Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny, by Nile Rodgers – review| date = November 6, 2011 | accessdate = November 20, 2018 | last1 = Bainbridge | first1 = Luke }}

Essex is a frequent public speaker on media, marketing and monetization strategies.{{cite web|url=http://wfoa.wharton.upenn.edu/events/cannes-lions-presentation-andrew-essex-raves-mades-new-creativity-standards-future/|title=Cannes Lions Presentation: Andrew Essex Raves and Mades New Creativity Standards for the Future}}{{cite web |url=http://elearningmarketing.ca/?p=107 |title=Le Mobile À Travers L'Éducation // Andrew Essex |access-date=2017-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118231702/http://elearningmarketing.ca/?p=107 |archive-date=2017-01-18 |url-status=dead }} He is an angel investor in many technology firms and serves as an advisor to the White House Office of Digital Strategy and the Wharton SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management.{{cite web|title=Paper to Pixels: Who is Andrew Essex?|url=http://www.spd.org/2008/10/andrew-essex-bwjpg.php|access-date=2017-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118233343/http://www.spd.org/2008/10/andrew-essex-bwjpg.php|archive-date=2017-01-18|url-status=dead}}

Essex has served as a television commentator for ABC, CNN, Anderson Cooper, The View and Fox News and his writing has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Outside magazine.{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/18/books/andrew-essex-talks-about-end-of-advertising.html | work = The New York Times | title = Tell Us 5 Things About Your Book: 'The End of Advertising'| date = June 18, 2017 | accessdate = January 22, 2020 | last1 = Williams | first1 = John }} He has co-authored four books: A Very Public Offering: The Story of the Globe.com, Chasing Cool, with Gene Pressman, Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny, with Nile Rodgers and "The End of Advertising: Why It Had to Die, and the Creative Resurrection to Come".{{cite web|url=https://insights.newscred.com/droga5s-andrew-essex/#sm.0000gbi8mvpvscuvxat25n4wen7d8 |title=Droga5's Andrew Essex: Marketers 'Need to Produce Premium Content'}}

Essex lives with his wife and two children in Dumbo, Brooklyn in New York City.

• A Very Public Offering: The Story of the Globe.com
• Chasing Cool with Gene Pressman
• Le Freak: An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco and Destiny with Nile Rodgers
• The End of Advertising: Why It Had to Die, and the Creative Resurrection to Come

• [https://cheddar.vhx.tv/best-of-cheddar/videos/andrew-essex-tribeca Andrew Essex on Cheddar TV]
• [https://adage.com/article/consumer-electronics-show/andrew-essex-brands-afraid-voice/316196 Andrew Essex on AdAge TV at CES 2019]

{{Reflist|2}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Essex, Andrew}}

Category:Living people

Category:New York University alumni

Category:American male journalists

Category:American business executives

Category:1965 births

Category:Businesspeople from New York City

Category:21st-century American businesspeople

Category:American chairpersons of corporations

Category:American chief executives