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
