Code and Theory Makes 2 Integral Leadership Hires

Code and Theory, a leading digital transformation and engineering network that is part of Stagwell, today made two integral leadership hires. Veteran editor and communications executive Kenneth Hein has been appointed the first chief communications officer of the Code and Theory Network. 13-year Nike executive Stacy Tarver Patterson has been named head of brand strategy for Code and Theory. The moves come as Code and Theory is rapidly boosting its network and expanding its client growth capabilities.

Code and Theory, one of the fastest-growing networks within Stagwell digital offering, includes nearly 2,000 people with 50% engineers and 50% creative talent. Earlier this year it welcomed digital shop YML into the fold at a time when CMOs are thinking more about technology’s impact on marketing than ever before. 

Kenneth, who is the first chief communications officer in Code and Theory’s 22-year history, has served as both an agency communications executive as well as editor at some of the industry’s top publications. Most recently, he led The Drum’s resurgence in the Americas as the US editor. Prior to The Drum, he was US chief communications officer at Dentsu during a period of historic growth. He was promoted into the role after Dentsu acquired the business-to-business creative agency Gyro where he served as global chief communications officer. Kenneth also held leadership roles at J. Walter Thompson and Brandweek. He is the recipient of the Jesse H. Neal Award for Excellence in Journalism, a D&AD Pencil, the Ad Club President’s Award as well as numerous other accolades.

Tarver Patterson is a 13-year Nike vet who has served in a variety of key digital leadership roles. Tarver’s career began at Bear Stearns' Financial Analytics and Structured Transactions Group where she built automated tracking and analytics tools. However, she felt called to make a more grassroots impact, leading her to nonprofit fundraising and marketing for the YMCA. Later, she spent over a decade at Nike working across brand strategy, planning and marketing, including leading the marketing teams for Nike Beijing and Greater China Digital Commerce, two of Nike's largest growth areas. She is currently CMO in Residence at the Columbia Start Up Lab and had served as managing director at West Ventures as well as co-founder and CMO of COR, a lifestyle science digital tech startup.

The hires come on the heels of Code and Theory’s new AI partnership with Oracle. The partnership combines Oracle Cloud Infrastructure capabilities with Code and Theory's award-winning, digital-first creative thinking to unlock AI-powered innovation at scale for the agency's diverse client base, initially targeting the financial, automotive, hospitality, and retail industries.

Co-founder and executive chairman Dan Gardner said: “Code and Theory is at an inflection point. As the only network with the rare scale of a balance of services comprised of 50% engineers and 50% creative, we are taking our capabilities and talent to the next level. Whether it’s through our partnerships or our people, we are driven to prepare our clients for change by helping them navigate complex and interconnected ecosystems. From a talent standpoint, Ken brings a serious background of communications and marketing expertise. He will put a bright spotlight on who we are today. Stacy's background as a strategist has the right mix of global, startup and academic experience that our clients are looking for in solving their problems through creativity and technology. We’ve got a lot of firepower with more to come.”

Kenneth said: “I spent the past three years at The Drum interviewing hundreds of CEOs, CMOs and industry leaders. The Code and Theory network is what they want. Digital first. Transformation led. Creative. Made for brands that understand that in order to transform on the outside, the internal foundations need to be in place. These words actually come with meaning versus being jargon. It is the network of the future whereas many are trying to retrofit models created for the needs of the past,” said Kenneth. “There is a great story and value proposition here.”

Tarver Paterson said: “Everything about the DNA of Code and Theory aligns with that pull I had been feeling, across individual backgrounds and disciplines. It's a brilliantly curious team of people who are not talking ‘digital-first creative’ out of fear of becoming irrelevant; we are doing this work because we love helping to guide change. The collaboration between brand and emerging technology is not keeping us up at night; it's getting us up in the morning, and I'm grateful to have found a group of colleagues and clients who want to share in that excitement.”