Grey London has promoted Chris Lapham and Aaron McGurk from Group Creative Directors to Executive Creative Directors (ECDs), in recognition of their outstanding creative leadership and pivotal role in shaping some of the agency’s most rewarded work of recent years. In their new roles as ECDs, they will continue to guide Grey London’s creative output across key accounts and drive the agency’s ethos to deliver famously effective ideas rooted in culture. Lapham and McGurk were the creative minds behind Grey London’s acclaimed “Claustrobars” campaign for Stella Artois. The duo also led the creative platform for Pringles Multigrain. Simultaneously, Sam Haynes and John Gibson have been promoted to Group Creative Directors. The duo have been at Grey London for over a decade, producing award-winning work for the likes of Volvo, Vodafone Ireland and Coca-Cola.
Ocean Outdoor UK CEO Nick Shaw has announced a number of promotions as he assumes leadership of the Digital Out of Home (DOOH) advertising business in the UK. Head of trading and investment Andrew Gibson is promoted to chief revenue officer, and Rachel Sutton, currently head of brand partnerships, is promoted to director of brand partnerships. Both Gibson and Sutton will lead the sales division and sit on the UK operating group (UKOG), reporting into Shaw. In the sales teams outside of London, regional account director Katherine Kershaw is promoted to group head, running Ocean’s seven strong regional team out of Manchester. Kershaw replaces regional sales director Keith Crisp who is moving across to lead on international sales. Other senior promotions include group head Matt Tulip who becomes head of agency sales, and group head James Marden who becomes head of planning and investment.
Virgin Group has appointed Tracey Markham as its Managing Director, Radio & Audio, a newly created role based at Virgin’s London HQ with responsibility for growing and shaping Virgin’s radio and audio presence globally. Markham joins Virgin from Amazon’s Audible, where she spent twelve years as Senior Vice President in the UK. With deep experience scaling modern audio and content businesses across international markets and transforming how audiences engage with sound, she is well placed to guide Virgin into its next chapter of innovation. As Virgin Group’s Managing Director, Radio & Audio, Markham will be responsible for Virgin’s global audio and radio strategy; continuing to expand Virgin Radio’s global footprint, bringing to life Virgin’s entrepreneurial energy and aligning the brand’s voice and vision across multiple channels.
Sid Lee Sport has named Rodrigo Coelho as its Managing Director for Canada, where he will lead the group’s sport sponsorship practice and strategic growth objectives in the market. Coelho, who will be based in Sid Lee’s Toronto office, is tasked with developing and leading the local strategy, building new partnerships to help brands and properties maximise their investment in sport, whilst cementing Sid Lee Sport’s reputation within the market and sponsorship community. He will report to Sid Lee Sport’s Global CEO, Stephen Hall. Coelho, who has overseen Clio and Effie-award winning campaigns during his career, brings a wealth of global experience to the position, having worked across diverse cultures and regions including Brazil, Japan, the US, and the UK.
Barrows Connected Store, a connected retail experiences company, has appointed James Hay as Global Chief Executive Officer. In his new role, Hay will lead the global Barrows Connected Store business, encompassing teams in the UK, the United States, and South Africa, advancing the company’s vision for intelligent, connected store environments that transform in-store experiences for retailers, brands, and shoppers. Barrows Connected Store partners with some of the world’s largest retailers, including Tesco and Kroger, to transform physical stores into intelligent media networks—enabling brands to activate highly impactful, easy-to-deploy digital campaigns at the point of purchase, where nearly 85% of global retail sales still occur.
Kevel, the leading retail media technology provider, has announced the appointment of Jaclyn Nix as Chief Operating Officer. Nix brings more than 18 years of digital marketing and retail media expertise to Kevel, including a proven track record of launching over 40 retail media programs and driving sustained revenue growth across retail media networks throughout her career. Her appointment comes at a pivotal time for Kevel, as the company focuses on rapid expansion and scaling business operations in line with market demand. Nix joins Kevel from Epsilon Retail Media (formerly CitrusAd), where she served as EVP, Brand Sales, leading a team of strategic and consultative sellers across Mass, Club, Dollar, Convenience, and Specialty retail verticals. As COO, Nix will oversee Kevel’s day-to-day operations, working to optimize organizational efficiency, scale revenue and go-to-market strategy, and strengthen customer partnerships.
The New World has announced that Alan Rusbridger is joining the magazine as Editor-at-Large. Rusbridger, the former Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, and most recently editor of Prospect magazine, brings decades of experience in world-leading investigative reporting and media innovation. In his new role, Rusbridger will contribute major essays and analysis, and help shape The New World’s expanding global remit, supporting the magazine’s mission to deliver fearless, provocative and entertaining journalism for an era of upheaval.
