Tribe Global has appointed David Balfour, co-founder of LIGHTBLUE, and Daniel Eischen, CEO and Founder of Concept Factory, as Co-Chairs, marking the next chapter in the network’s leadership and long-term evolution.

The shared leadership model follows a planned transition that reflects Tribe Global’s continued growth and maturity evolving from an informal network into a more structured, strategic global platform while remaining firmly founder-led.

Both Balfour and Eischen are long-standing Tribe members and current board directors, bringing complementary international experience across experiential marketing, digital innovation, strategy and agency leadership.

Commenting on the appointment, David Balfour said, “This is very much about continuity as well as progression. Tribe has always been strongest when leadership reflects the diversity of thinking within the network. Having previously chaired Tribe, it feels like the right moment to step back in alongside Daniel. Not to change what Tribe is, but to help it mature, align and continue empowering independent agencies globally.” 

Daniel Eischen added, “Tribe has always been built on trust, relationships and shared ambition. Returning as Co-Chair feels like a natural extension of that founding spirit, focused on stewardship, not hierarchy, and on building long-term value for the members who make Tribe what it is.”

The Co-Chairs will work closely with Greetje Demuelenaere, Managing Director of Tribe Global, and Global Operations Manager Elaine Miller, who continue to lead the day-to-day operations of the network.

The structure reinforces Tribe Global’s collaborative leadership approach, combining strategic stewardship at board level with strong operational execution.

The appointments follow the planned departure of James Rice, who stepped down as Chair at the end of last year after a period of steady leadership and guidance.

The co-chair appointments come at a time of continued momentum for Tribe Global, with plans to further evolve its business summits with Warsaw and Singapore meetings coming up, Rising Stars and Academy programmes in place and cross-market collaboration initiatives like Media Round tables reinforcing its position as a global platform built by independent agencies, for independent agencies.

Find out more about how Tribe Global is elevating independent agencies here .