22nd February 2024
M&C SAATCHI PLC
M&C Saatchi appoints Zaid Al-Qassab as CEO
M&C Saatchi (the "Company" or "M&C Saatchi") is delighted to announce the appointment of 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."
For further information please contact:
M&C Saatchi plc
+44 (0)20-7543-4500
Zillah Byng-Thorne, Executive Chair
Bruce Marson, Chief Financial Officer
Deutsche Numis
+44 (0)20-7260-1000
Nick Westlake, Iqra Amin
Liberum, NOMAD
+44 (0)20-3100-2000
Max Jones, Benjamin Cryer, Will King
Headland Consultancy
+44 (0)20-3805-4822
Stephen Malthouse, Rob Walker Charlie Twigg
mcsaatchi@headlandconsultancy.com
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