Leadership
Jennifer Appleby
President, Chief Creative Officer
Agency leader and community advocate, Jennifer is known for combined passion and creativity that have not only fueled the growth and transformation of Wray Ward, but have also significantly impacted Charlotte and the region. A fierce protector of our creative culture, she has widely influenced our area’s emphasis on attracting and supporting talent.
Having joined Wray Ward in 1993, she was named president and chief creative officer in 2001 and today is the agency’s majority owner. Intimately involved in building our clients’ brands, she spreads her enthusiasm, focus and creative thinking to all areas of the organization. Under her leadership, the agency has strategically evolved our home and building industry focus and brand-building solutions and services.
Jennifer is committed to giving back to the community, and our agency has contributed thousands of hours in pro bono campaigns. Today, our EmpoWWer service-grants program is emblematic of this dedication. Aiding one cultural entity after another, Jennifer has held strategic leadership positions in many pivotal community projects. She is the immediate past board chair of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and served on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. She served as board chair of the Arts & Science Council, chaired its Annual Fund Drive and has served on the Public Art Commission. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance as marketing chair.
She has been recognized professionally throughout her career, including being a recipient of the Charlotte BusinessWoman of the Year Award from Queens University’s McColl School of Business; Charlotte Business Journal’s Women in Business Achievement; and the Arts & Architecture Alumni Award from her alma mater, Penn State University. She was also named to Business North Carolina’s 2018 and 2019 Power 100.