A Conversation With Chris Devlin

Chris Devlin brings the talent market perspective to the agency transformation conversation. Agencies are being squeezed: clients demand more, margins are tighter, and the talent agencies need to compete is getting harder to attract and retain.

A striking data point: 64% of talented people would leave an agency that isn't embracing AI. It's not just a technology issue — it's a recruitment and retention crisis. Talent wants to work where there's innovation and strategic ambition, not where there's resistance to change.

Chris highlights the growing fractional model — agencies bringing in specialist contractors for short engagements rather than hiring full-time. This is budget-conscious but creates a mentorship problem. Meanwhile, agencies are trying to move upstream in client organisations, but aspiration isn't enough. You can't simply tell execution people to start thinking strategically. They need a system.