Roy was born in Brownwood, Texas in 1948. In 1967 he enrolled at University of Texas at Austin, and went on to found GSD&M Idea City in 1971.

In 2004, he won the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Texas. The Austin, Texas chapter of the American Advertising Federation and Texas Monthly magazine have previously named Spence Adman of the Year and Adman of the Century.

Publications

In September 2006, The Amazing Faith of Texas by Roy Spence and the People of Texas was published by the University of Texas Press

In February 2009, Spence, along with Haley Rushing authored "Its Not What You Sell, Its What You Stand For," providing a primer to a brand management model pioneered by GSD&M Idea City called "Purposed Based Branding." According to Spence, "In a company without purpose, people have no idea what they're really there to do. They often look to the competition to decide what to do rather than navigate by their own sense of what's right. With a purpose in place an organization knows its reason for being and is driven to perform and innovate. Purpose sets you apart from the competition, authenticates your brand, inspires passion in your people and helps you achieve the impossible."