He also holds a Masters degree from the University of Cambridge and graduated from Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program in 2002.

After graduating from the University of Oxford, Phillips joined the strategy consulting firm Bain & Company, where he spent seven years, before moving on to corporate finance at investment bank SG Warburg.

[9][10] Early in his tenure, he presented Ofcom's findings into the changing use of electronic devices in the UK which questioned the future of commercial advertising,[11] and was a member of the Steering Board that informed the UK government's 2009 strategic report into a Digital Britain that was sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

[12] In 2007, he led the organisation's call for a national debate on the future of children's television in Britain, given concerns about cultural differences present in imported shows.

[13][14] Giving evidence to the House of Lords Communications Committee in 2010, Phillips acknowledged concerns about children's programming in the UK, but stated the output of domestic broadcasters had been driven by parliamentary decisions.