Jon Evans: Chief Customer Officer, Marketing Leader, and Host of the Uncensored CMO Podcast
In the world of modern marketing, few names resonate with as much credibility and versatility as Jon Evans. With over two decades of senior leadership experience across some of the UK’s most iconic beverage and challenger brands, Evans has established himself as one of the industry’s most respected voices. Today, he serves as Chief Customer Officer at System1 Group, a global leader in advertising and innovation testing, while also hosting the Uncensored CMO Podcast, which has quickly become one of the most popular marketing shows in the world.
His journey is defined by a combination of creativity, commercial acumen, and the ability to lead transformation in both established and challenger brands. This article explores his career in detail, highlighting his professional achievements, leadership style, and unique contribution to the marketing industry.
Early Career and Education
Academic Background
Jon Evans studied Economics and Business Finance at Brunel University of London, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1997. His education provided him with the strong financial and analytical foundation that would underpin his later career in brand management, marketing leadership, and customer engagement.
First Roles in Marketing
Evans began his career with Britvic Soft Drinks, holding roles in customer marketing and category management. During this time, he gained first-hand experience working on campaigns for leading household brands such as Pepsi and Robinsons. Notably, he was part of the team that launched Robinsons Fruit Shoot, which would go on to become one of Britvic’s most successful innovations.
Building International Expertise
Expanding Brands Globally
By the early 2000s, Jon Evans had taken on international responsibilities. At Britvic International, he served as Marketing Manager for Ireland, then International, and later Head of Marketing for the division. His achievements included overseeing the expansion of Fruit Shoot in Holland and successfully launching Robinsons into the Nordic markets.
As Head of Marketing for Britvic International, he was part of the senior management team that successfully doubled the size of the international business in just three years, cementing his reputation as a commercially savvy and creative leader capable of driving significant growth.
Senior Brand Leadership
First Drinks Brands
Before returning to Britvic in more senior roles, Evans gained valuable experience with First Drinks Brands, where he was responsible for managing a portfolio of wine and spirit brands. He led the first re-launch of Mateus Rosé in 50 years, drove campaigns for Disaronno, and oversaw the growth of heritage labels like Tio Pepe and Croft Sherry.
Seed Brands at Britvic
In 2009, Evans returned to Britvic as Head of Seed Brands, running a dedicated unit in partnership with PepsiCo to fast-track challenger brands. He was responsible for managing brands such as Lipton Ice Tea, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Drench, V Water, Pure Rush, and Purdey’s. This role allowed him to sharpen his expertise in building disruptive, challenger brands and creating consumer excitement around new product categories.
Leading at Purity Soft Drinks
Marketing Director on the Board
Evans joined Purity Soft Drinks in 2012 as Marketing Director and board member. The company, backed by private equity, was on an ambitious growth path, and Evans played a key role in accelerating innovation and brand-building on limited resources.
Key Achievements:
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Spearheaded the growth of JUICEBURST, which became one of the fastest-growing soft drinks brands in the UK.
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Created the world’s first interactive soft drink brand using augmented reality with Blippar.
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Expanded the Firefly brand, which was recognised as a Top100 CoolBrand multiple times and won The Grocer’s New Product of the Year.
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Won the DBA Gold Effie Award for JUICEBURST and several other marketing honours.
This period showcased Evans’s ability to balance creativity with commercial performance, driving growth in highly competitive markets.
Director at Lucozade Ribena Suntory
Overseeing Iconic UK Brands
From 2016 to 2018, Jon Evans served as Marketing Director at Lucozade Ribena Suntory, a role that placed him at the helm of some of the UK’s most iconic beverage brands. Leading a team of 65 and managing a marketing budget of £50 million, he guided the business through the implementation of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (Sugar Tax), one of the most significant structural changes the industry had faced.
Career Highlights:
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Relaunched Lucozade Energy with the high-profile Energy Beats Everything campaign.
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Revitalised Lucozade Sport under the Made to Move platform, supporting one million people to become more active.
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Guided Ribena through a reformulation process with the award-winning That’s So Ribenary campaign.
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Enhanced in-house creative capabilities with the TED team, creating powerful brand assets while delivering cost efficiencies.
This role further reinforced Evans’s skill in leading transformation during challenging times while keeping iconic brands culturally relevant.
Chief Marketing Officer at BrewDog
In 2018, Jon Evans joined BrewDog as the company’s first-ever Chief Marketing Officer. Although his time at BrewDog was brief, it gave him insight into one of the world’s most disruptive challenger brands. Despite cultural challenges, he contributed strategic ideas and learned valuable lessons about the dynamics of founder-led businesses and the power of bold, unapologetic branding.
System1 Group: Advertising Effectiveness Leader
Chief Marketing Officer (2019–2022)
Evans became Chief Marketing Officer at System1 Group in 2019. The company is recognised globally for its expertise in advertising effectiveness, using the power of emotion to predict short- and long-term business impact.
As CMO, Evans launched the innovative Test Your Ad platform, which enabled brands to test advertising quickly and benchmark against a vast database of over 100,000 ads. He also played a key role in expanding the company’s offer through Test Your Brand and Test Your Idea, solidifying System1’s position as a global leader in creative effectiveness.
Chief Customer Officer (2022–Present)
In March 2022, Evans was promoted to Chief Customer Officer, leading System1’s marketing, partnerships, and business development teams. In this role, he continues to shape how global brands understand and measure the emotional power of advertising. His mission is to give decision-makers the confidence to back creative ideas with data-driven insights, making a compelling case for emotional advertising in a world dominated by short-term metrics.
Uncensored CMO Podcast
Launched in 2019, the Uncensored CMO Podcast has become a staple in the marketing community. Evans interviews some of the world’s best marketers, thought leaders, and industry disruptors, offering raw, insightful, and entertaining conversations.
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The podcast has been downloaded over 2 million times,
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Reaches listeners in more than 150 countries,
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Has generated over 40 million social media views,
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And continues to grow by over 100% year-on-year.
This platform has elevated Evans’s personal brand as a thought leader, speaker, and columnist, while also providing immense value to the global marketing community.
Awards and Recognition
Throughout his career, Jon Evans has received numerous accolades, including:
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BT Sports Industry Award for Best Film (2018) for Lucozade Sport’s campaign with Anthony Joshua.
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Cannes Lions Silver and Bronze for film craft in advertising.
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DBA Gold Effie Award for JUICEBURST.
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Recognition in the Top100 CoolBrands for Firefly.
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PMW Top 20 of 2025, acknowledging his continued impact in marketing.
Specialities and Expertise
Evans’s areas of expertise span across a wide range of marketing disciplines:
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Effective advertising and creative effectiveness.
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Building challenger brands.
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Leading brand turnarounds.
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Business development and winning pitches.
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Innovation and international marketing.
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Podcasting and thought leadership.
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Championing diversity in advertising under his theme Feeling Seen.
Conclusion
Jon Evans stands as one of the UK’s most accomplished marketing leaders, combining board-level experience with a genuine passion for creativity and effectiveness. From launching iconic campaigns for Lucozade and Ribena to spearheading challenger brands at Purity Soft Drinks, and from shaping advertising measurement at System1 to building a global podcasting platform, Evans has consistently proven his ability to inspire, innovate, and deliver results.
As he continues his journey as Chief Customer Officer at System1 and the voice behind the Uncensored CMO Podcast, Evans remains a driving force in shaping the future of marketing, making him a standout figure in the industry’s global landscape.
