INVNT names James Nicholas Kinney Global Chief AI Officer
INVNT has appointed James Nicholas Kinney as its first Global Chief AI Officer, with a remit across all markets and a stated focus on the Asia-Pacific region.
The agency said the new role sits at leadership level and covers client work and internal operations. Kinney reports to Scott Cullather, Chairman and Chief Growth Officer at INVNT.
Role scope
INVNT linked the appointment to wider plans for artificial intelligence across the business. The agency said it plans broader integration across strategy, creative, production and operations. It also referred to internal systems, data lakes and tooling.
The company positioned the role as client-facing. INVNT said it wants to develop AI-related products and services for clients and expand its AI ecosystem. It also highlighted plans around data and insights infrastructure.
Cullather described the appointment as a step in INVNT's approach to innovation and experience-led work.
"Business transformation happens when you connect the dots across industries, technologies, and the experience ecosystem. INVNT has always been at the forefront of innovation-led brandstory. Adding a Global Chief AI Officer to our leadership team marks the next step in that evolution for our clients, our agency and the industry at large. James is uniquely qualified for this role, one of the foremost minds in AI-enabled organisational design with a rare blend of HR leadership, agency experience, and advanced AI training. He understands how humans and machines can coexist to drive meaningful progress, from operational maximalism to predictive analytics and client-forward solutions. His leadership will accelerate INVNT's future as the best-in-class experience agency enhanced by AI." said Scott Cullather, Chairman and Chief Growth Officer, INVNT.
Career background
INVNT said Kinney has worked in senior roles across agencies including .Monks, Ogilvy, Mother and Giant Spoon. The company also described him as having experience as a Global Chief People Officer.
The agency said Kinney holds AI certifications from MIT, Carnegie Mellon and Wharton. It also referenced a programme led by LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman.
APAC focus
Laura Roberts, Managing Director APAC at INVNT, pointed to regional growth and described the move as aligned with work across AI, extended reality and related tools.
"APAC continues to be one of our fastest growing regions for innovation-led work. Expanding our AI capabilities is a natural next step as we scale experiences across AI, XR, and other emerging technologies, while staying closely aligned with our global teams. This move gives our clients in the region access to deeper intelligence, better tools, and more connected ways of working, helping them turn ambition into real-world impact," said Laura Roberts, Managing Director APAC, INVNT.
The agency has offices in Sydney, Singapore and Mumbai, alongside locations including New York, London, Dubai and Stockholm. INVNT said it operates across an international network of teams.
Client work
INVNT said it has worked with Microsoft on the introduction of Copilot and on Microsoft's 50th anniversary event, where it used Copilot. It also said it developed AI-powered creative and programmatic elements for Oracle AI World, which it described as having more than 60,000 attendees and a keynote by Larry Ellison.
The agency said it acts as creative and media buying agency of record for SHRM and delivers AI-powered content and strategic media buying. It also said it developed an "AI Music Factory" project for Xero that generated albums from voice commands.
INVNT also pointed to work linked to COP28, including an AI-powered "Tree of Life" installation in Dubai. It said it developed "ABB-e", an interactive AI mascot using 3D animation for ABB that scaled across global events.
The company also referenced work for Lamborghini connected to the Aventador, with an associated NFT that it said sold at auction for USD $1.6 million. INVNT also referred to internal product development work around XR learning and engagement experiences across Apple Vision Pro and other extended reality devices. It described the technology as patent-pending.
Next steps
INVNT said Kinney will lead client-facing AI innovation and focus on scaling brand experiences and campaigns using machine learning. It also said the role includes developing new business opportunities linked to AI and operational change.
Kinney said he expects to set direction for how AI gets used across the agency's work and internal teams.
"INVNT is an innovation led brand story agency full of high performers. We dream big and build boldly. My role is to bring AI into that ethos, to create greater impact for our clients and drive operational acceleration for our employees around the world.
We will enable global cultural alignment with clear language, shared understanding, and unified execution." said James Nicholas Kinney, Global Chief AI Officer, INVNT.