Colin W.J. McKenzie is the Chief Client Officer & Partner at Gradient Experience, where he leads the agency’s client services team with a focus on client growth, relationship quality, and the measurable performance of brand experiences. His work sits at the intersection of brand strategy, account leadership, and business stewardship — helping clients define what success looks like, then guiding the teams and systems required to deliver it.
Colin began his career in London, moving from Account Executive to Account Director at Euro RSCG before joining JNI London in 1997. He later served as Managing Director and Head of Business at JNI London, before moving to New York as Director of Marketing for JNI — a progression that shaped his ability to understand client relationships from every angle: strategy, delivery, growth, and trust.
Since joining Gradient in 2010 and becoming Partner in 2015, Colin has helped guide client partnerships with renowned brands including Beam Suntory and L’Oréal Groupe. His leadership connects client ambition to agency execution with precision, judgment, and a deeply practical approach: align the right teams, protect the quality of the work, anticipate client needs, and ensure every experience delivers beyond the moment itself.
Colin speaks on the business of client partnership: how agencies build trust, how global brand relationships evolve, and why experiential marketing must be measured by more than flawless execution. His perspective is shaped by more than thirty years of client leadership and a career spent helping brands turn marketing ambition into performance.
