Phil Treagus-Evans

At my core, I believe entrepreneurship and marketing can be a genuine force for good. I’ve always been drawn to building things. Not in a “serial entrepreneur” way, just in a “I can’t seem to leave ideas alone” way. That urge led me to start Giraffe in 2012 with my friend Kane. Thirteen years later, I’m now CEO of an agency that helps established brands make their social media feel more human and grounded in who they actually are. Less noise, more meaning. Less polish, more people. A big part of our work is helping companies turn their culture into marketing - not through gimmicks or forced employee posts, but by celebrating the humans already doing the work. When you get that right, social becomes a thousand times more honest, more engaging, and frankly… more enjoyable. In 2025, I published Human-First Marketing: The Art of Being Seen, Trusted and Remembered. It became a bestseller, which still feels surreal to say out loud. The book is my attempt to give marketers something real to hold onto in a world that’s increasingly automated, transactional, and edging towards soulless. And because life seems to enjoy pushing me out of my comfort zone, I’m stepping into public speaking too. I recently gave a talk at the Global Marketing Summit in Istanbul, and I’ve got more events lined up next year. It’s exciting. It’s terrifying. It’s happening. Outside all of that, I spend a lot of time travelling with my amazing wife, Leah, a brilliant luxury destination wedding photographer. She’s the artist; I’m the designated bag carrier. I love exploring the world, experiencing new cultures all because of how insanely talented she is. I don’t pretend to have “balance” figured out. I love the work I do, the people I work with, and I’m learning to slow down without losing the momentum that makes life fun. LEGO, reading and gardening help. So does a sense of purpose that actually means something. If you're interested in human-first marketing, meaningful entrepreneurship, or building something that leaves people better than you found them, we’ll get on well.