Kate Robertson (advertising)
Kate Robertson | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1956 |
| Nationality | United Kingdom |
| Education | University of Cape Town |
| Occupation | CEO |
| Known for | co-founding "One Young World" |
| Spouse | Bruce |
| Children | Ella Robertson McKay |
Kate Robertson (born c. 1956) is a South African born advertising executive who was the President of Havas Worldwide. She co-founded the charity One Young World.
Life
Robertson was born in about 1956 Johannesburg and she studied law at the University of Cape Town.[1] Her early work in South Africa was selling advertising for radio before she left for Europe. She worked for shop companies before she joined the advertising company Havas Worldwide,⋅ where she was promoted to be the global president and UK chairperson.[2]
In February 2010 the first One Young World summit was held in London. The organisation was started by herself and David Jones.[3]
In 2015 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by Lausanne Business School.[4]
In 2019 she and Ella Robertson created the book "'How to Make A Difference: The Definitive Guide From The World's Most Effective Activists". It included contributions from activists Sir Bob Geldof, Emma Watson and the writer Fatima Bhutto.[5][6]
In July 2023 she resigned from the board of "One Young World" after ten years as a trustee but she remained CEO. The Charity Commission had started an enquiry after it emerged that her pay had been £440,000 over an 18 month period while her daughter Ella Robertson McKay had been paid £195,000. Nearly 30% of the charity's income of £7.5m had been £2.2m paid in salaries.[7]
References
- ^ Moloney, Anna (2025-02-06). "'Those who told me to start small are eating their words': Kate Robertson on setting up 'the Young Davos'". City AM. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
- ^ "Kate Robertson on leaving advertising : 'You never realise how bad materialism in the industry is until you get outside'". The Drum. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
- ^ "Kate Robertson | HuffPost". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
- ^ "Kate Robertson Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, One Young World". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ "BBC Radio London - Robert Elms, Morgan Heritage and Kate and Ella Robertson, Kate and Ella Robertson on Modern Day Activism". BBC. 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
- ^ Robertson, Kate; Robertson, Ella (2019-08-08). How to Make a Difference: The Definitive Guide from the World's Most Effective Activists. Octopus. ISBN 978-1-78840-193-7.
- ^ "Charity CEO steps down from trustee role as regulator continues salaries probe". www.civilsociety.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-08-04.