Charli Edwards

Charli Edwards is a Creative Director, strategic thinker and inclusive leader. Her career has been deliberately non-linear, shaped by a commitment to innovation and adaptability. After earning degrees in Fashion and Design & Innovation, she transitioned from creative roles into global brand leadership, including serving as Global Art Director at UFC, one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Today, she leads the award-winning creative and brand services function at Cavendish Consulting. At Cavendish, she drives strategic brand transformation across sectors including infrastructure, utilities, health, technology and FMCG. Under his leadership, their work has achieved 18 industry awards for creative excellence, including Best Creative Strategy and Best Use of Digital. She's also accelerated creative services growth, delivering a 78% uplift in design, 334% in digital, and 228% in video, contributing significantly to group revenue. Additionally, she pioneered the development and launch of BrandSense, a free insight-driven tool that helps clients evaluate and elevate their brand health. She focuses on building collaborative environments where diverse perspectives fuel breakthrough ideas. She advocates for mentoring and neuro-inclusivity, co-founding Cavendish Women and supporting industry-wide initiatives. She also explores the evolving role of AI in creative strategy, encouraging adoption of AI stacks across digital, video and design functions to accelerate workflows and create space for deeper thinking. Her background spans digital agency leadership and hands-on creative disciplines, giving me a unique perspective on audience empathy and brand storytelling. She's led creative strategy for global organisations and national institutions, from the World Cup to the water sector and everything in between. This breadth of experience underpins her belief that creativity, inclusivity and innovation are essential for sustainable growth.