DianeJackson
Chief Production Officer, DDB Chicago
Diane Jackson, an award-winning Chief Production Officer, transcends barriers and expectations, not only by what she does for DDB Chicago, but also by who she is as an industry leader, mentor and creator. She defies the conventional constructs of the production discipline, and in turn, has significantly impacted not only the Chicago ad community, but also the global advertising industry.
Colleagues and clients alike recognize Diane’s rare combination of tenacity, strategic vision, and creativity. Thus, not only has Diane been critical to sustaining DDB Chicago’s growth and profile in the industry, she has also taken an active leadership role in strategizing for the entire agency network. Her influence permeates the company both locally and globally on brands such as Molson Coors, Mars/Wrigley, State Farm, McDonald’s and the U.S. Army.
As Chief Production Officer, Diane has built an award-winning team that truly understands integrated production and believes in the power of collaboration. She introduced a new production model that allows the agency to quickly produce branded content for both planned and unplanned opportunities, and designed Studio225, a 10,000-square-foot agile facility within the agency that is “always on”. Diane advises on production procedure, best practices, market trends, media solutions, and creative collaborations throughout the DDB global network.
Additionally, Diane has led award-winning production teams, creating work that has been recognized by the Emmys, Cannes Lions, The One Show, D&AD, London International Television Awards, Clios, Webbys, and the Effies.
Diane has represented DDB as a juror on numerous award shows. In 2012, she was selected for the Film Craft Jury at the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival, making her the first female agency head of production to be part of the jury. She served again in 2018 and, the following year, Diane was on the Film Advertising Jury for the D&AD Awards. She has been Jury President at the London International Awards and has also served multiple times on the AICP Curatorial Panel for the Museum of Modern Art in New York
Diane is dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion in advertising. As a former board member of the VCU Brandcenter, Diane is invested in encouraging young people of color to consider advertising as a career path. On behalf of DDB, she sponsors the Free Spirit Media Program, which connects more than 700 underserved youth in the Chicago area to arts education and opportunities in media production.
Diane was also an early supporter of Free The Bid and ensured that DDB was one of the first agencies to partner with the initiative, dedicated to increasing the number of female directors, and now supports “Free the Work” for broader inclusion.
Diane is mum to Spike and Alfie and lives in the city of Chicago.