Kostas Karanikolas

Executive Creative Director

Kostas is a strategic leader who partners with organizations to build global brands that drive measurable growth and long-term value. With over twenty years of experience across Consumer, Finance, Tech, Health, and FMCG, he has worked closely with senior marketing leaders at Apple, MetLife, American Express, P&G, and GSK to solve complex business problems and unlock new opportunities for growth.

He combines brand, advertising, and digital expertise with a clear focus on commercial outcomes whether scaling brands or repositioning companies in competitive markets. Having held senior roles at Saatchi & Saatchi, Crispin Porter+Bogusky, BBDO, and WPP, Kostas brings multidisciplinary teams together to cut through complexity and guide brands and businesses toward the right strategic choices.

Kostas is a trusted partner to senior leaders, known for bringing clarity, focus, and creative ambition to complex challenges, consistently translating integrated strategy into tangible business impact.

What are you most proud of in your career?

‘#PainEquals’ – a campaign for GSK’s Panadol that addressed the gender pain gap, challenging how women’s pain is perceived and treated, and helping drive meaningful change.

Name one thing most people don’t know about you.

I wrote and developed an interactive play based on Mandragola by Niccolò Machiavelli, which was later showcased at the Venice Art Biennale.

What are your greatest strengths as a communications practitioner?

Empathy and persuasion. I’m able to read context quickly, understand what truly matters to an audience, and communicate in a way that builds trust and drives action.

What’s your favorite part of the workday?

The collaborative moments. Unpacking a complex business problem and finding a clear, creative way through it.

Who would play you in the movie version of your life?

Peter Sellers

What is your favourite quote?

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” by Søren Kierkegaard