MSQ heads Stateside as expansion drive gathers pace

Aaron LangMarketing group MSQ is eyeing a slice of the North American market by expanding its multidisciplinary offer to the States, in a move designed to give clients better and easier access to integrated marketing services.

The group has appointed Aaron Lang (pictured), the managing director of Deloitte Digital’s advertising, marketing and commerce group, as the first president of MSQ North America. He will report directly to MSQ chief executive Peter Reid.

Lang was previously director of client services at San Francisco based agency Heat, which was acquired by Deloitte in 2016. He held the same role at Isobar.

He will be joined at MSQ by former colleague Justin Cox, who was most recently general manager and CSO at Heat. Cox, who will work closely with Lang in developing the MSQ offer in the region, becomes chief strategy officer, North America.

He previously worked at agencies including Publicis and Hal Riney, Pereira O’Dell and DDB California.

MSQ US has also made a number of other key leadership hires, including Mike DaRe and Sheila Hozhabri, who will launch Smarts, MSQ’s cultural communications and PR agency in the region.

Meanwhile, Susan Levy has joined as general manager to relaunch Holmes & Marchant New York, and Nancy Aresu has been appointed president of The Gate New York, MSQ’s creative and media agency.

Finally, Susan Guerrero was recently promoted to chief operating officer to lead Stein IAS in the US, MSQ’s B2B agency.

The leadership team will work together to bring MSQ’s proposition to the market, using human insight, technology and creativity to help brands thrive, adapt and disrupt in today’s world.

The investment means that five of MSQ’s nine agencies now have a presence in North America. Further capabilities and services – such as MSQ’s new content production and delivery offer, which it is claimed makes insight-driven personalisation of creative content a possibility for clients of all investment levels – will also be rolled out in the region throughout 2021.

Peter Reid said: “MSQ has been growing rapidly and evolving our multi-disciplinary proposition on an international level is the key next step in our journey. We have an agile, accessible model that offers clients world-class creative and strategic thinking on a global and local level, and by creating these new roles – and bringing in such leading industry talent to fill them – we’re confident that our proven joined-up model will thrive in the US market.”

Lang added: “MSQ’s proposition is perfect for ambitious brands in North America looking for a marketing partner who can help them deal with the change that’s happening in every aspect of their business and their customers’ lives.

“Too often clients either end up getting entangled in big holding companies or are unable to access the integrated capabilities they need from individual agencies. MSQ is able to offer a unique multidisciplinary approach and I look forward to working with the talented new leadership team to bring that approach to life.”

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