NEW YORK, NY – Two former ad agency executives are shaking up the creative industry with the launch of X&O (Experts & Officers), a new work model designed to offer top-tier talent—and the clients who need them—an alternative to the traditional agency structure.
Founded in 2023 by Brett Banker (Anomaly) and Eric Segal (Grey), X&O is a response to the growing frustration many senior advertising professionals feel toward the bureaucracy and inefficiencies of legacy agencies. “The very best talent was often the furthest from the work,” says Segal. “We knew there had to be a better way.”
X&O serves as a modern consultancy built around flexibility, autonomy, and results-driven creativity. It’s become a haven for high-level executives who were laid off, burned out, or simply craving more control over their time and output. Through short, focused engagements, X&O provides clients with top-level thinking—delivered fast and without the red tape.
The X&O network includes some of the most accomplished minds in the industry: former CSOs and CCOs, Fortune 100 Heads of Innovation, a Forbes Top 50 CMO, and a Creative Director once named the best in the world. To maintain creative purity and avoid ego-driven distractions, the team works anonymously, adopting pseudonyms inspired by Reservoir Dogs.
The Model: 3 Ideas. 3 Experts. 3 Weeks.
X&O operates on a sprint model—working in one- to three-week cycles to deliver breakthrough ideas across strategy, naming, innovation, brand development, and campaign work. Clients receive three distinct solutions from three unique experts in just three weeks. It’s a lean, impact-focused model built for speed, clarity, and results.
“We’re not building decks—we’re solving problems,” says Banker. “And we’re doing it with the kind of talent most companies couldn’t get into a room in the old model.”
Looking Ahead
Brett and Eric are available for interviews or background conversations on:
- The future of the CMO role and creative leadership
- How to combat burnout in senior positions
- Why fractional work and freelancing are the future of top-tier talent
- The power of anonymity in unlocking bold, unfiltered creativity
