Wavemaker and Brainlabs win Formula 1 media

Formula One, now owned by Liberty Media, has appointed Wavemaker and Brainlabs to run its respective traditional and digital media accounts following a competitive review. Wavemaker is a combo of WPP agencies MEC and Maxus while self-styled “disrupter” Brainlabs has grown like topsy, offering a blend of media skills and tech.

WCRS has promoted head of account management Annie Gallimore to managing director.

Annie joined the agency’s parent group Engine in 2013 and was promoted to head of account management at WCRS in 2017 Annie will report to chief executive Matt Edwards and will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the agency. Edwards said: “Annie has an enviable creative portfolio, she’s brilliant at new business and is […]

Havas London’s Xavier Rees takes on Helia CEO

Havas chief executive Xavier Rees has kicked off the new year with a significantly expanded remit after being elevated to the role of Helia chief executive replacing Tash Whitmey, who was chief executive of Havas Helia for six years, quit last year to run Tesco’s customer loyalty marketing team. Rees will take on responsibilities for […]

Kantar Consulting acquires Mash Strategy in the UK

WPP announces that Kantar Consulting, the newly launched specialist growth consultancy within Kantar, has acquired Mash Strategy Limited (“Mash”), a London-based brand strategy and growth consultancy. Mash provides integrated consulting services covering growth strategy, insight, innovation and brand transformation. Clients include Johnson & Johnson, Samsung, Unilever and PepsiCo. Mash was founded in 2010 and employs […]

GroupM has named Tom George as UK chief executive, replacing Nick Theakstone who moves to global chief investment officer

GroupM has overhauled its management team amid the ongoing restructuring by parent company WPP of its media agencies. Former UK chief executive Nick Theakstone has been elevated to the role of global chief investment officer in a role which brings responsibilities for all aspects of GroupM’s global media investments, trading activities and commercial partnerships. Theakstone, […]

Lewis hires M&C Saatchi PR’s Jen Dobrzelecki to lead New York office

Lewis has hired Jen Dobrzelecki as SVP and leader of its New York office. Dobrzelecki is the first person to helm the new office, whose November 2016 opening reflects Lewis’ recent growth and plans for expanding its East Coast presence, she said. She is the latest in a spate of recent hires bolstering Lewis leadership […]

Unity Co-Founder Nik Govier Quits Agency

Unity’s Nik Govier has quit the iconic consumer PR agency she co-founded with Gerry Hopkinson 12 years ago. She said: “It has been 12 amazing years working with a team I love. Gerry and I have very different ambitions for business so I have decided that it’s time for me to go. “I walk away […]

Karen Blackett joins WPP as first UK country manager

WPP has finally decided on its first country manager for the UK and it’s to be Karen Blackett, chairwoman of its biggest media agency Mediacom. The previous leading candidate, GroupM UK boss Nick Theakstone, is moving up at the WPP buying operation instead, becoming global chief investment officer, based in London and New York. Blackett, […]

M&C Saatchi PR has appointed Davnet Doran from Unity as its new UK managing director

Global creative communications agency M&C Saatchi PR has promoted agency Co-Founder Chris Hides to Global Managing Director and hired Davnet Doran as its new UK Managing Director. Working closely with Global CEO and Co-Founder Molly Aldridge, Chris Hides will lead the charge across EMEA and the US to evolve and grow the agency’s capability worldwide. […]

Channel 4 launches digital ad sales house with BT win

Channel 4 is launching a new digital ad sales house in an on-going effort to scale up its business to better compete with the likes of Google and Facebook. As part of the announcement, Channel 4 named BT as its first digital ad sales partner. It will gain access to first party data, a deal […]