Pumpkin appoints former Interbrand VP Joe Stubbs as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer
Pumpkin, the B2B PR agency for marketing, creative and digital agencies, has announced the appointment of Joe Stubbs, former Vice President and Global Brand/Marketing Officer at Interbrand, as Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer.
Joe joins Pumpkin’s senior leadership team, reporting to Sarah Owen, Founder and CEO.
The appointment reflects Pumpkin’s evolution from a specialist PR and media relations agency to an integrated, strategic content, communications and reputation consultancy, equipped to serve an industry navigating an increasingly complex, fast-moving landscape.
As Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, Joe will lead this evolution, expanding Pumpkin’s core global business with commercial capabilities and additional long-term growth partnerships. He will pioneer the development of new advisory services spanning agency brand positioning, thought leadership, and growth marketing for agencies navigating rapid change.
His appointment to this newly created role, is central to Pumpkin as it enters its next chapter, following a period of sustained growth. This includes new global client wins and the expansion of its team; having recently brought on Saamiyah Khan as a Senior Account Manager, who joins from Propeller, and Callan Kenna as an Account Manager.
Over the past decade, Joe has led global brand and marketing strategy for category leaders, including the world’s leading brand strategy consultancy, Interbrand, and online community insight experts, C Space. In these roles, Joe led marketing teams across Europe, North America, and Asia – and was responsible for global marketing and new business investments.
Prior to marketing and brand strategy roles, Joe built the storytelling and creative division for C Space in Europe. He’s led and collaborated on insight, innovation and brand strategy programmes for companies including Mindshare, AB InBev, The Gambling Commission, Tesco and Tetley Tea.
Joe’s appointment by Pumpkin reflects the growing demand from agencies for content and communications partners that combine reputation building with strategic insight and commercial impact. Agencies are under increasing pressure to build influence, as well as visibility. As the marketing landscape is reshaped by AI and platform fragmentation, reputation and thought leadership grow in importance.
Joe Stubbs, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Pumpkin, said of his appointment: “Pumpkin boasts an inspiring roster of world-class clients, and I’ve been lucky to collaborate with the team client-side over the past decade. As we’re all experiencing, the agency marketing landscape is fundamentally shifting, and having a laser focus on ROI is now imperative. I’m excited about executing this new chapter for the business and the potential we can create. Sarah is an exceptional leader and a trusted, valued partner. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with her and the whole Pumpkin team as we look to the future”.
Sarah Owen, Founder and CEO of Pumpkin, said: “Joe’s appointment marks an important step in our evolution as we expand from a specialist PR agency into a broader strategic communications partner for the global marketing industry. Having had the pleasure of knowing Joe for the past few years, I’ve already seen what he can do, and know that – on both a professional and personal level – he will make an invaluable addition to the team. We’re excited about what we will build together”.
Operating across EMEA, North America, and Asia, Pumpkin works with many of the world’s leading marketing and brand organisations, including Joint, Beano Brain, Omnicom Media UK, Fuse, RAPP, Teads and Coley Porter Bell.
Founded in 1998 by CEO Sarah Owen, Pumpkin is the B2B Marketing & PR agency for advertising, media, creative and digital agencies. Pumpkin adds value by building brands’ reputation, creating excitement about their work, and connecting businesses with the people that matter to drive business growth. Pumpkin is also a trustee for The Fertility Futures Project, a charity dedicated to increasing awareness and education around fertility and reproductive health, and an advisor to the National Osteoporosis Society.