M&C Saatchi has appointed Zaid Al Qassab as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) following a comprehensive search process.
Zaid’s appointment will be effective on 13th May 2024 subject to the completion of normal regulatory due diligence by the Company’s Nomad, following which Zillah Byng-Thorne, acting Executive Chair, will return to her role as Non-Executive Chair of the Company.
Zaid brings an extensive track record of advertising and marketing leadership, managing global teams and brand-building expertise. Most recently, he was Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Channel 4.
Zaid held the CMO role at Channel 4 from 2019 where he was responsible for marketing, digital, product, communications and PR, advertising, media and continuity, its award-winning in-house creative agency 4creative, and its digital content and brand entertainment agency 4Studio. Under Zaid’s leadership the broadcaster gained a place as the top brand and #3 creative agency in 2023 (Campaign Lists), and he was voted one of the UK’s top ten marketers by Campaign in 2023.
He was previously the Chief Brand & Marketing Officer of BT plc, where he led the BT, EE, Plusnet & Openreach brands. He also spent 20 years at Procter & Gamble, in marketing and commercial roles, including as Managing Director of the Health & Beauty division for the UK & Ireland. Zaid currently serves as Non-Executive Director of Advertising Standards Authority, a role he has held since 2018.
Zillah Byng-Thorne, Executive Chair, said: “We are delighted to have attracted someone of Zaid’s calibre to lead M&C Saatchi into its next phase of growth. Zaid has proven leadership qualities, has managed global teams, and his client-centric focus, dynamism and commercial acumen will be highly valuable as we look to accelerate our growth trajectory.
“The advertising and marketing landscape is fast-moving and a modern, forward-thinking, agile leader like Zaid will help shape M&C Saatchi for excellence on the global stage, supported by our exceptional regional leaders across the UK and globally. It is truly an exciting moment for us.”
Zaid Al-Qassab said: “I have long admired M&C Saatchi’s creativity and industry-leading work and I am delighted to be joining one of the most recognised advertising brands in the world. I believe M&C Saatchi has a unique growth opportunity, capitalising on its combination of advertising and specialist marketing services, and its unrelenting focus on creative solutions built on client understanding, with an agile, global, integrated offer.”
