AKQA Appoints Four Global Leaders Following Reorganization
Fresh Take:
AKQA Shakes Up Its Leadership Team, Focusing on Unified Strategy, Tech, and Delivery
AKQA, the renowned digital agency, has announced some major changes in its global leadership team. According to exclusive reports from Adweek, four executives have joined or been promoted to key positions.
Miriam Plon Sauer, who previously worked at McCann Worldgroup, is back with AKQA as the global chief strategy officer. Ben Royce, formerly of Google Cloud, takes the position as the agency’s chief technology officer. Tim Devine, a long-time AKQA creative, is now the chief invention officer, and Jonathan Bolden has been promoted to the role of chief transformation officer. All four executives will be part of AKQA's global executive committee.
This restructuring is aimed at providing a more unified approach to strategy, technology, and delivery from AKQA, irrespective of where the work is executed. Stephan Pretorius, interim chair of AKQA and WPP’s chief technology officer, explained to Adweek that clients can expect a seamless service, no matter the geographic location.
The return of Miriam Plon Sauer as global chief strategy officer is intended to bring consistency and a renewed focus on strategic alignment across various regions. Ben Royce's presence as chief technology officer signals a push towards AI and cloud-driven solutions, possibly integrating emerging technologies like generative AI into client engagements.
Tim Devine's appointment as chief invention officer emphasizes product development and experiential design, ensuring creative outputs are delivered alongside scalable technical solutions. Jonathan Bolden, as chief transformation officer, will focus on operational agility and streamlining cross-regional collaboration under the 2024 reorganization model.
The appointments aim to eliminate silos and provide clients with a unified pool of strategic, creative, and technical resources, thereby enhancing AKQA’s ability to deliver innovation at scale. This change reflects a broader industry trend toward consolidated, tech-centric agency models capable of addressing complex digital transformation challenges.
- Miriam Plon Sauer, formerly of McCann Worldgroup, has returned to AKQA as the global chief strategy officer, aiming to bring consistency and renewed strategic alignment across various regions.
- As the agency’s chief technology officer, Ben Royce, a former executive from Google Cloud, will focus on AI and cloud-driven solutions, driving the integration of emerging technologies like generative AI into client engagements.
- Tim Devine, a long-time AKQA creative, has been appointed as chief invention officer, emphasizing product development and experiential design, ensuring creative outputs are delivered alongside scalable technical solutions.
- Jonathan Bolden has been promoted to the role of chief transformation officer at AKQA, concentrating on operational agility and streamlining cross-regional collaboration under the 2024 reorganization model.
