Lisa Hayley-Jones, Former Westminster Forum Chair, Joins Advertising Association as Public Affairs Director

Lisa Hayley-Jones Set to Lead Industry’s Policy Work Ahead of Party Conferences and Next General Election

London, July 24, 2023: The Advertising Association, the umbrella organisation representing the UK advertising industry, has announced the appointment of Lisa Hayley-Jones, former Chair of Westminster Forum, as its new Director of Public Affairs. Lisa Hayley-Jones replaces Sue Eustace who is stepping down after more than 20 years of service. Eustace has been instrumental in the association’s role as the voice of the industry to Westminster, engaging with Parliamentarians both to defend advertising’s rights and promote the industry as a jewel in the crown of the country’s creative economy.

Lisa Hayley-Jones joins at a key moment for the Advertising Association as it prepares to champion the UK’s £35bn advertising industry during Party Conference season and as momentum builds towards the next General Election. She will lead on driving engagement with Parliamentarians and Westminster to help establish the right political environment for UK advertising and marketing companies to flourish, both under the next Government and in the longer-term. The UK exports £15 billion of advertising and marketing services annually and the association will work with Government to get behind the industry, support and champion it in world markets.

She will also oversee the AA’s policy work and how this will address the ongoing big societal challenges of the day, from obesity and the role of HFSS advertising to talent shortages, skills and apprenticeships, as well as advertising in the digital age.

Lisa has a career background working in financial services and investment as the Director of Political Relations at KPMG and British Private Equity Association. She was also Head of Parliamentary Affairs at the CBI and was most recently working at the House of Commons on engagement with MPs and Peers on the restoration programme of the Houses of Parliament. Lisa is also a Director of the Enterprise Forum.

Since joining the Advertising Association in 2003, Sue Eustace has worked on a wide range of policy issues, including, for example, putting the industry’s case on HFSS, the London Olympics and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Bills, and overseeing its long-standing work on data protection and the Online Advertising Programme. She has also been heavily involved in current AA industry workstreams including the public trust in advertising programme, the Media Smart media literacy programme and the AA’s recent Talent Action Plan. Joining the AA originally to run the industry’s Task Force to bring broadcast advertising into the ASA’s remit in 2004, she helped to create the ASA ‘one stop shop’ for all advertising. As a member of the Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP and BCAP) and a Board member of the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA), Sue has continued to put advertising self-regulation at the heart of the AA’s policy work.

During lockdown, Sue led the industry’s dialogue with government on pandemic support and post-pandemic recovery. More recently, she has coordinated the industry’s policy response towards the apprenticeship levy and lobbied the Government to work more closely with professional and industry associations on plans to skill up and re-skill the workforce.

Sue will now be writing the history of the Advertising Association and the last 100 years of advertising, to be published as part of the organisation’s centenary in 2026.

Stephen Woodford, CEO, Advertising Association, said: “Lisa brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in working in and around Westminster with her roles in parliamentary engagement and as former Chair of the Westminster Forum. I am delighted to welcome Lisa to the AA: she joins at a critical time as we prepare for the next General Election and as party conference season draws closer.

A big thank you from me on behalf of the Advertising Association and our members to an outstanding colleague and friend, Sue, who has given 20 years of service to the AA and much more to the advertising and media industry throughout her career. Her unrivalled passion for her work will be sorely missed across the entire industry, and we wish her all the best on her next project, where she will be writing a history of the AA to publish at our 100^th birthday in 2026. Thank you from all your colleagues and friends across the industry, Sue.”

Lisa Hayley-Jones, Director of Public Affairs, Advertising Association said: “I am absolutely delighted to be working with Stephen, his team, and members of the AA. The next 18 months will be critical for the sector to highlight its impressive contribution and importance to the UK economy.”

Sue Eustace said: “The AA has been an endlessly fascinating place to work over the last two decades as it is unique in bringing the whole industry together to develop consensus positions. This is often challenging but always worthwhile. I leave in the knowledge that, under Stephen’s leadership, the AA is at the heart of the industry’s values and agenda with its work on trust, climate, inclusion, talent, and exports, and has a much respected voice on policy issues across the piece”.

Lisa Hayley-Jones takes up the role on 25 July 2023.