Data-driven marketing, advertising and tech group MSQ has appointed a new group chief executive to succeed Peter Reid, who is moving up to chairman, as the business eyes the next stage of its global growth.
James Townsend joins next week from Stagwell, bringing more than 25 years of experience spanning brand strategy, performance marketing and digital transformation.
He was most recently served as CEO of Stagwell EMEA and global CEO of Stagwell’s Brand Performance Network – a portfolio of performance marketing agencies operating across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
Townsend will assume responsibility for day-to-day leadership and driving forward global agency growth and collaboration. Reid, who co-founded MSQ and has served in the role since its inception over 15 years ago, will focus on the overall strategic direction of the group.
MSQ insists the appointment comes at a pivotal moment, as the group continues to build commercial momentum and scale its integrated capabilities, with around 2,000 people now working across 25 global offices in North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Over the past three years it has completed seven acquisitions in America, Germany and the UK, won and deepened relationships with clients such as Diageo, Chase, The AA, JLL and Dropbox and launched MSQ Intelligence, a central global team dedicated to developing products, services, platforms and data capabilities to power MSQ agencies with world-class tools and intelligence.
Reid and Townsend will work in tandem to ensure a smooth transition into their new roles, supported by MSQ’s non-executive chairman Charles Courtier, COO Dan Yardley and executive directors.
Reid said: “This is a genuinely exciting moment for MSQ and for me personally. James brings the energy, experience and vision that we need to accelerate the next chapter of growth and I am delighted that we have attracted him to MSQ.
“It allows me to continue contributing to the strategic direction of a group that I am immensely proud of, while creating space for new leadership to thrive. I very much look forward to working with James as together we embark on the next step in our evolution.
“The culture, ambition and commitment to our clients and our colleagues remains absolutely unchanged.”
Townsend added: “MSQ is an exceptional business and has grown to become one of the most scaled challengers – ambitious, entrepreneurial and built on a culture of doing what is right for clients and its people. I have admired what Peter and the team have built and I am thrilled to now be part of it.
“The opportunity ahead is significant. I see a growing market. MSQ has a connected structure, world class talent and an AI platform in Assist that is creating material advantage for modern marketers. All this delivers an opportunity for us to cement ourselves as one of the defining global marketing and technology groups of this decade.
“I look forward to working closely with Peter, the executive team, MSQ’s brilliant agency leaders and most importantly, its clients and colleagues – who are at the heart of everything MSQ does.”
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