As marketers seek agile media partners, Richling, former Monks Global CMO, joins Stagwell Media to drive global brand strategy and elevate a technology-led growth narrative.
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / November 6, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced the appointment of Kate Richling as Chief Brand and Communications Officer of Stagwell Media, its global media agency that delivers performance built to unlock ambition. Richling previously served as Global Chief Marketing Officer at Monks.
Reporting directly to Liz Rutgersson, CEO of Stagwell Media, Richling joins as the recently launched agency introduces a differentiated media model to the market. As marketers reevaluate traditional media models, brands are looking for new ways to do media that help them adapt faster, reach audiences more effectively and unlock growth.
Richling brings nearly two decades of marketing experience to Stagwell Media. Most recently, she spent nine years as a senior executive at Monks, formerly called Media.Monks owned by S4 Capital, where she served on the global leadership team guiding global brand architecture, positioning and cross-border integrations through rapid M&A scale. In her role, Richling will oversee global brand strategy, executive profiling, PR and internal communications. Her mandate bridges internal culture and external positioning, elevating agency marketing and internal communications from traditional administrative functions into primary drivers of global growth, talent alignment and market authority.
“Marketers are tired of big creative promises that can’t be measured or platform data locked inside a black box,” said Liz Rutgersson, CEO of Stagwell Media. “Stagwell Media brings together the best of modern media: deep channel expertise, next-gen technology and connected capabilities to help brands deliver measurable business outcomes. Kate’s battle-tested track record of building global brand authority and driving commercial narrative will be critical as we sharpen our voice as the market’s primary media disruptor.”
“At a time when agency rhetoric and marketing are increasingly indistinguishable, Stagwell Media stands out by pairing deep media expertise with connected capabilities and technology built by media experts, for media experts,” said Kate Richling, Chief Brand and Communications Officer, Stagwell Media. “Having built a career championing agency brand strategy and scaling global reputation for disruptive players, joining an agency with a bold vision for the future of media is incredibly invigorating. I’m excited to align Stagwell Media’s internal culture with our external narrative and help showcase what makes our approach distinct.”
Richling will partner with Stagwell Media’s Growth, Client Leadership and Strategy teams to build a continuous pipeline of co-presented client case studies, effectiveness wins and executive thought leadership across the media agency’s global footprint, ensuring internal culture directly fuels external market reputation.
About Stagwell Media
Stagwell Media is a global media agency that delivers performance to unlock ambition for brands on every platform. As part of Stagwell, the challenger network transforming marketing through AI, Stagwell Media is transforming media through an agile, integrated model that powers growth and helps brands navigate an evolving marketplace. Powered by next-generation agentic technology, including The Media Machine, its AI-native operating system, the agency accelerates optimization, maximizes media investment efficiency and drives higher-quality audience engagement. With more than 2,300 experts across 50+ markets, Stagwell Media delivers transformative results for leading global brands including Lenovo, DP World and P&G.
PR Contact: pr@stagwellmedia.com
SOURCE: Stagwell
Taheri will lead regional growth for the Media & Commerce segment at Stagwell
LONDON, UK / ACCESS Newswire / October 16, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced the appointment of NagmehTaheri as Chief Growth Officer, Media & Commerce for Stagwell Europe, effective November 18, 2026. Reporting into James Denton-Clark, Chief Growth & Client Officer of Stagwell Europe, Taheri will oversee new business efforts across the European region for the Media & Commerce segment at Stagwell working specifically with sister media agencies Goodstuff and Stagwell Media.
Taheri brings over 25 years of experience driving growth across some of the world’s leading marketing holding companies, including WPP, Dentsu, Publicis Groupe, IPG and Omnicom. Widely recognised as one of the UK’s foremost new business leaders, Taheri was ranked No. 1 in Campaign’s UK Media New Business rankings in 2022 and 2024 and No. 3 in 2025. Throughout her career, she has built and led growth functions that have transformed how agency brands collaborate, compete and win, helping secure major media accounts including Aldi, L’Oréal, LVMH, NatWest and Sky. She also played a role in launching Local Planet in 2016, the global network of independent media agencies, helping create a compelling alternative to the traditional holding company model. Prior to this role, Taheri served as Chief Growth Officer, UK & Ireland at Omnicom Media.
The appointment follows a year of strong momentum across the Media & Commerce segment following last week’s launch of Stagwell Media, the network’s new global media agency. The segment has also expanded its media capabilities through The Media Machine as well as the launches of Stagwell Search+ and Stagwell Curate by Stagwell Media Platform earlier this year.
James Denton-Clark, Chief Growth & Client Officer of Stagwell Europe, said, “Europe is seeing more and more clients looking for integrated solutions that work seamlessly across markets, and that’s exactly where Nagmeh will make a difference. She has a brilliant track record of bringing teams together, raising the bar on how we go to market, and helping clients navigate complexity across multiple countries. As we continue to level up our focus on European multi-market opportunities, I’m excited to have her leading Stagwell’s regional media growth.”
Nagmeh Taheri, recently appointed Chief Growth Officer, Media & Commerce of Stagwell Europe, added, “What really drew me to Stagwell is its ambition, entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to do things differently. This is a moment of real change for our industry, and clients are increasingly looking for a more modern, connected alternative to traditional agency models. Stagwell is uniquely positioned to meet that need, bringing together creativity, media and technology in a way that reflects how brands need to grow today. I’m excited to join the team, build on the momentum, and use my experience to help drive the next phase of growth across Europe.”
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonise the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Contact:
Quinn Werner
Stagwell EMEA
PR@stagwellglobal.com
SOURCE: Stagwell
Accolades include being named to the Design Company of the Year list and receiving the Enduring Impact award for companies with 15-plus years of success.
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / September 15, 2026 / Code and Theory has received the dual honor of being named a Fast Company Design Company of the Year and selected for its “Enduring Impact” award, which recognizes the best design among companies with 15-plus years in business.
The accolades mark the agency’s fourth consecutive year in which Code and Theory has been selected for Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards.
Technology has made it easier to make things, but most businesses find it harder to make things that matter. It’s a gap that keeps growing and one that Code and Theory is uniquely built to close. For 25 years, the agency has brought creativity and technology together through a differentiated balance of 50% creatives and 50% engineers. Code and Theory has evolved that model into a digital transformation engine built to handle disruption, combining human creativity, forward-deployed expertise and agentic solutions to drive tangible business outcomes.
Over the past year, that work has delivered measurable results across industries:
- TIME: Transformed the legacy publisher into a modern, AI-powered platform, increasing digital revenue by 159% year over year.
- Stanley Black & Decker: Created one design system for more than 30 brands across 55 markets, helping increase e-commerce conversion by 40%.
- JBL: Created the industry’s first AI-native discovery system, built for the way search works now, growing AI-driven referrals by 2,434% year over year.
- T. Rowe Price: Unified 47 fragmented sites on a single system, saving 100,000 team hours and $15M in avoided costs.
- NFL: Reinvented NFL.com to help fans find what they want faster, increasing NFL+ discovery by 104% year over year and tripling acquisition.
The 2026 awards also recognize work from across the Code and Theory Network. Instrument and ŌURA have been named in the UX Design category for Instrument’s reimagining of the ŌURA app experience. Instrument’s Playspace, an open, living archive of experiments, tools and interactive sketches, has also been honored in the Experimental and Conceptual Design category. The platform gives teams a place to test ideas, build prototypes and turn emerging technologies into tangible, usable experiences.
This recognition builds on a broader history of Fast Company honors for the Code and Theory Network. In 2025, Code and Theory was named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies list in the Design and Teamwork categories, while Instrument was named to Fast Company’s list of Best Workplaces for Innovators. Code and Theory’s previous Innovation by Design honors include three distinctions for NBC’s Big Board, the NFL app and Design Company of the Year (2025).
This year, Code and Theory was honored alongside Google, Canva, SharkNinja and Design Bridge and Partners in the Design Agency of the Year category as well as Adobe, L’Oreal and CVS Health in the Enduring Impact category.
Dan Gardner, founder of Code and Theory, says: “It’s a crazy moment to be able to be creative and use technology to design what’s never come before. Our teams are more excited about the future than ever because moments like this don’t come around very often. As we head into our 25th anniversary, I can say that being recognized for the work we’re doing at a time like this is a real honor for our clients and all of the great talent at Code and Theory.”
Brendan Vaughan, Editor-in-Chief at Fast Company, says: “The Innovation by Design Awards have always recognized the ideas that challenge convention and show what’s possible when design is treated as a strategic force, not an afterthought. Congratulations to this year’s honorees, who demonstrate how thoughtful design can solve meaningful problems and create new possibilities for people and businesses.”
About Fast Company
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow business publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.
About Code and Theory
Code and Theory is the digital transformation agency where the C-suite comes together to create change. Our differentiated balance of 50% creatives and 50% engineers at scale allows us to bring strategy, creativity and technology together in one integrated offering. This enables our clients to gain competitive advantages in how they operate, market and serve their customers. Code and Theory is Stagwell’s (STGW) digital transformation network, which includes its flagship agency, Code and Theory, along with Create. Group, Current, Instrument, Kettle, Left Field Labs and Truelogic. Code and Theory is the most decorated agency of the past three years, with 20 top agency honors, including Ad Age, Adweek and Fast Company. Our clients include Amazon, IBM, JPMorganChase, Microsoft, NBC and the NFL. For more, visit codeandtheory.com.
Media Contact
Kenneth Hein
kenneth.hein@codeandtheory.com
SOURCE: Stagwell
Liz Rutgersson appointed Chief Executive Officer of Assembly and Connie Chan elevated to CEO of Assembly APAC; New leadership team to drive next phase of growth for the global media agency
NEW YORK, NY AND SINGAPORE / ACCESS Newswire / September 14, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced the appointment of Liz Rutgersson as Chief Executive Officer of Assembly with a global and North America remit, effective September 14, 2026. Reporting to Slavi Samardzija, Global Chair of Media & Commerce at Stagwell, Rutgersson will drive Assembly’s growth, strengthen client partnerships and lead the agency into its next chapter. Connie Chan will take on the role of CEO of Assembly APAC while continuing as Chief Growth Officer of Stagwell APAC, effective immediately. Together, these leaders will drive the next phase of growth for Assembly.
Rutgersson brings more than 20 years of marketing expertise spanning brand building and strategy, digital media, analytics and search optimization. She has a proven track record of driving new business growth while maintaining high agency and client retention rates. Rutgersson joins Assembly after 16 years at dentsu, most recently serving as CEO of iProspect North America for the past three years. Throughout her career, she has partnered with leading global brands including Hilton, eBay, Salesforce, Ferrero, Dollar General and Tesco.
Chan brings three decades of experience across media, marketing, and business leadership. Since taking on the Chief Growth Officer role, she has helped expand Stagwell’s presence across key APAC markets, driving new business growth, strengthening regional client partnerships, and advancing capabilities across media and digital experience.
“Liz and Connie are exceptional leaders with a proven track record of driving growth for advertisers, building high-performing teams and helping clients succeed in a rapidly changing media ecosystem. Their appointments strengthen Assembly’s leadership for what comes next and reinforce our commitment to creating a more modern, agile agency that delivers meaningful business outcomes for clients around the world,” said Slavi Samardzija, Global Chair of Media & Commerce at Stagwell.
“I’ve spent my career believing that the best agencies don’t just respond to change, they help define what comes next. For too long, our industry has been shaped by legacy structures that don’t always reflect what drives the best outcomes for clients. Assembly has a foundation of incredible talent, global scale and connected capabilities, and I’m energized by the opportunity to build on strengths and push them further – building around the needs of our clients’ businesses, with their performance as the clearest measure of our own success and client growth as our organizing principle,” shared Rutgersson.
Rutgersson succeeds Rick Acampora, former Global CEO of Assembly, who moved into a new role at the holding company focused on developing new commercial frameworks earlier in the year. Jill Kelly, former CEO of Assembly North America, will support the leadership transition to ensure continuity for clients, teams and partners.
The appointments come as Stagwell continues to build momentum globally and across APAC. The network recently strengthened its global media offering with the launches of The Media Machine and Stagwell Search+, opened a new APAC headquarters in Singapore, and expanded its capabilities, scale and client offering across the region through the integration of Assembly and ADK GLOBAL. The agency also received multiple honours at The Drum Marketing Awards APAC 2026, with winning work spanning China, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore across categories including Arts & Culture, Brand Relaunch and Sports Marketing.
About Assembly
Assembly is a global omnichannel agency built for brands that want a more modern approach to building brands that perform. Backed by the Stagwell network, Assembly brings together data, talent, and technology to unlock smarter, faster, and better-performing outcomes. With over 3,000 experts across 40+ offices worldwide, Assembly delivers full-funnel solutions that help the world’s most ambitious brands connect, engage, and grow across media, creative, commerce, and technology.
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Contact
SOURCE: Assembly
Award-winning creative leader brings over two decades of experience spanning brand, digital, campaigns, film, and emerging technology.
PORTLAND, OR / ACCESS Newswire / August 24, 2026 / Instrument, a Stagwell (STGW) company and part of the Code and Theory Network, today announced that Jack De Caluwé has joined the agency as Chief Creative Officer. De Caluwé returns to Instrument after previously spending nearly nine years at the agency, where he helped shape its creative culture and some of its defining work.
As Chief Creative Officer, De Caluwé will lead Instrument’s creative work across brand, product, digital experiences, campaigns and emerging technology. He will partner with executive leadership to evolve Instrument’s creative direction, mentor and develop talent, deepen relationships with executive clients, and raise the creative bar across the organization. Most recently, he served as Executive Creative Director at R/GA.
Over the course of his career, De Caluwé has led creative for some of the world’s most influential brands, including Nike, Apple, The New York Times, Patagonia, Netflix, Stripe, Dropbox and Uber, with a global career spanning Australia, Europe, and the United States. His work has earned recognition from the Webby Awards, CLIO Awards and The One Show, among others. While previously at Instrument, De Caluwé helped lead programs for clients, including:
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Electronic Arts (EA): Evolved EA into a flexible, future-ready brand platform built to stay recognizable and coherent as technologies, experiences, and audience expectations evolve.
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Google: Helped lead creative across Google, pushing the brand into new territory across product, campaigns, and experiences.
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Notion: Led the creative work on “For Your Life’s Work,” Notion’s first international brand campaign, positioning the platform for both work and life across North America, Europe, and Asia.
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ServiceNow: Led the development of a distinct agentic AI identity and scalable design system, positioning ServiceNow as a leader in enterprise AI across products, partners, and platforms.
Instrument has spent 20 years at the intersection of creativity and technology, helping organizations navigate change and unlock new opportunities for growth. In 2026, it was named Design Studio of the Year at the Campaign US Agency of the Year Awards. Instrument has also recently added to its senior creative team: Terence Hobson, Group Executive Creative Director, Brand Studio, joining from EA SPORTS, and Yan Sze Li, Group Executive Creative Director, Product Studio, joining from M·A·C Cosmetics.
De Caluwé says: “We’re in one of those rare moments where the canvas is being stretched in every direction. Technology is opening up new ways to make things, culture is evolving in real time, and creativity has never had more room to surprise people. I wanted to be somewhere that sees that as an invitation rather than a disruption. Instrument is that place. I want us to be a studio where you can feel something is always happening. The kind of place people keep bookmarked for when they need a reminder of what’s possible. A place willing to take big swings, make things with real character, attract restless talent, and chase ideas into unexpected places. That’s the creative practice I want to build and the role I want Instrument to play in whatever comes next.”
Laurel Burton, CEO of Instrument, says: “Jack is a force multiplier for ingenuity and innovation, always pushing beyond familiar patterns to create space for unexpected ideas. That’s the role we want to play for our partners: challenging conventional thinking to create iconic work. With Jack returning to Instrument, we’re not only advancing our clients’ work, but strengthening our creative identity, attracting top talent and increasing the creative force we bring to every partnership.”
About Instrument
Instrument is a design and technology company. We build brands, products, and experiences guided by one belief: make the complex simple. For more than 20 years, we’ve partnered with companies like Google, Nike, Electronic Arts, ServiceNow, Uber, and ŌURA. We use technology with intent-applying tools like AI to deepen the work and move faster, without losing what makes it good. Instrument is a part of the Code and Theory Network, Stagwell’s (STGW) digital transformation network.
Contact
Carly Ross
carly.ross@codeandtheory.com
SOURCE: Stagwell
Kaplan joins Stagwell’s Board of Directors as the company builds on significant new business momentum and accelerated growth led by digital transformation
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / August 5, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced the appointment of Beth J. Kaplan to its Board of Directors.
Kaplan is a seasoned corporate director and senior executive with more than three decades of leadership experience across consumer, retail, and brand-driven businesses. She brings extensive operating and board governance expertise to both public and private companies. She previously served as President, Chief Operating Officer and a director of Rent the Runway (NASDAQ: RENT). Prior to that, she was President and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer of GNC, where she played an integral role in the company’s IPO. Earlier in her career, she held senior leadership positions at Procter & Gamble. She currently serves on the boards of Crocs, Inc. (NASDAQ: CROX), Brilliant Earth Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: BRLT), The Vitamin Shoppe, and Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants.
“Beth has built an extraordinary career leading iconic brands, guiding high-growth companies and serving on the boards of some of the most respected businesses in the consumer and retail sectors,” said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO of Stagwell. “Her expertise in brand building, corporate governance, and value creation comes at a pivotal moment for Stagwell as we accelerate our growth, expand our cutting-edge capabilities and further establish ourselves as the challenger network.”
Kaplan joins Stagwell’s Board during a period of significant new business momentum and accelerated growth, as the company continues to expand its AI-powered solutions and digital transformation capabilities. Her appointment further strengthens the Board’s expertise as Stagwell advances its next chapter of innovation at the intersection of technology and creativity.
“Stagwell has built a truly differentiated platform that combines creative excellence, media expertise, digital transformation and AI-driven innovation to meet the evolving needs of today’s brands,” said Kaplan. “The company’s new business momentum, continued innovation and vision for the future make this an especially exciting time to join the Board. I look forward to supporting Stagwell as it continues to redefine modern marketing, deliver value for clients and create long-term growth for shareholders.”
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Contact
The premier network fosters connection, insights and curated experiences for human resource leaders across industries
NEW YORK CITY, NY /ACCESS Newswire/ May 29, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced that Chief People Officer Stephanie Howley has joined The Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute’s CPO Council, an exclusive community of talent leaders shaping the future of work in the global marketplace.
“I’m honored to join The Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute’s CPO Council alongside such an accomplished group of people leaders,” said Howley. “This is an incredible opportunity to engage with thought leaders in the talent space and ensure Stagwell remains at the cutting edge of how we attract, develop, and retain world-class talent. As the workplace continues to evolve, collaboration and the exchange of ideas across industries are more important than ever – and I’m proud to bring those insights back to a company that is already pushing the boundaries of what great looks like.”
As Chief People Officer at Stagwell, Howley brings more than 20 years of experience leading people strategy. At Stagwell, she has helped shape a high-performing culture defined by top talent across creative, technology, and AI, positioning the network to attract, develop, and retain the best people in the industry.
Prior to joining Stagwell, Howley served as Executive Vice President, Managing Director, People Team, North America at BCW Global, where she led the integration of North American teams following the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe. Earlier in her career, she was EVP of Human Resources at Cohn & Wolfe in a global role, during which time the agency earned repeated recognition as a “Best Place to Work” from organizations including PRWeek, PRNEWS, Ad Age, and Crain’s New York Business. In 2012, Howley became the first HR professional recognized in PRWeek’s 40 Under 40 list.
For more information on The Wall Street Journal Leadership Institute’s CPO Council and its members, visit https://leadershipinstitute.wsj.com/cpo/
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Media Contact
Sil will oversee global product development and media activation for Stagwell Media Platform
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / May 12, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW), the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced the appointment of Dru Sil as Global Product Managing Director of Stagwell Media Platform, effective immediately. Reporting to Matt Adams, Global CEO of Stagwell Media Platform (SMP), Sil will lead the development, execution, and strategy of SMP’s product suite. In this role, he will oversee global media activation as well as product development and integration across Stagwell.
Sil brings more than 15 years of commerce and product experience across startups and global agency networks. Recently, he served as Global Commerce Product Lead at Annalect within Omnicom. Prior to that, Sil held multiple roles across Omnicom and WPP in product strategy, partner co-development, and marketing science, where he developed solutions for brands including Diageo, Dyson, General Mills, Kimberly-Clark, Jaguar/Land Rover, PepsiCo, TJ Maxx, Tyson Foods, and Unilever.
The appointment follows a year of strong momentum for Stagwell including the launches of Stagwell Search+ and The Machine earlier this year. In July 2025, Stagwell established Stagwell Media Platform, a centralized team of global media, technology, and data investment experts led by Matt Adams, designed to optimize trading and investment products and deliver media activation solutions for Stagwell’s global client base.
Matt Adams, Global CEO of Stagwell Media Platform, said, “Dru is an exceptional talent, and his technology and business strategy background uniquely positions him to build and scale our global product suite. He will play a critical role in advancing product development and integration across our media solutions, creating a clear competitive advantage for our clients.”
Dru Sil, recently appointed Global Product Managing Director of Stagwell Media Platform, added, “Stagwell is at the forefront of agentic product solutions, and I am excited to work with Matt and the broader team to bring this product suite to life worldwide. The network is perfectly positioned to operate at the speed and scale required in today’s media and technology landscape, driving both innovation and growth for our clients.”
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Contact:
Quinn Werner
Stagwell
PR@stagwellglobal.com
Jabari Hearn, Julie Levin, and Lynne Reilly appointed as SVPs to lead integrated growth across Stagwell’s Marketing Services and Media & Commerce divisions
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 29, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW), the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI, today announced the creation of a segment-based growth structure and the appointment of its first three leaders: Jabari Hearn and Julie Levin as SVP, Strategic Growth, Marketing Services, and Lynne Reilly as SVP, Strategic Growth, Media & Commerce.
The new structure places dedicated senior leaders within Stagwell’s operating segments, creating a more direct connection between the network’s capabilities and the enterprise-level clients they serve. It follows a year of accelerating new business performance and reflects a broader strategy, led by Ryan Linder, EVP and Global Chief Marketing Officer, to build a growth engine that matches the scale and ambition of Stagwell’s offering.
“We’ve reached a point where how we show up in the market matters as much as what we bring to it,” said Linder. “This structure brings greater focus to our strengths and positions us to compete for larger, more complex opportunities. Jabari, Julie, and Lynne each bring the experience to translate that into growth.”
The appointments follow the recent hire of Nicole Souza as Chief Growth Officer, North America. Additional segment-based growth leaders spanning Digital Transformation, Communications & Advocacy, and The Marketing Cloud are expected later this year.
Jabari Hearn – SVP, Strategic Growth, Marketing Services
Hearn’s experience spans creative agencies, global brands, and technology platforms, including AKQA, Nike, Google, and Lyft, giving him unique perspective across the ecosystems Stagwell’s clients operate in. He is known for translating creative and cultural insight into commercial narratives that resonate at the enterprise level.
He will focus on sectors including CPG and retail, technology, sports and lifestyle, and mobility.
“The best growth conversations start with a point of view, not a capabilities deck,” said Hearn. “Stagwell has the talent and the range to compete at the highest level, my role is to make sure the market feels that in every interaction.”
Julie Levin – SVP, Strategic Growth, Marketing Services
Levin brings experience from both sides of the table, agency growth leadership at Publicis NA, The Martin Agency and Horizon Media, alongside client-side marketing experience at Verizon. That dual perspective is central to her approach: she builds partnerships by understanding what clients need, not just what an agency wants to sell.
She will focus on financial services, automotive, telecom, entertainment, and sports.
“The opportunity is to meet clients where they are, with solutions that reflect how they actually buy and operate, not how agencies are traditionally structured,” said Levin. “Stagwell’s model makes that possible in a way most networks can’t match.”
Lynne Reilly – SVP, Strategic Growth, Media & Commerce
Reilly brings deep experience leading media growth within complex, scaled organizations, with senior roles at GroupM North America, Wavemaker, and UM. She has a strong track record of driving enterprise opportunities by connecting media investment to business outcomes.
Her focus will span Stagwell’s full media, data, commerce, and performance offering.
“Clients are looking for partners who can connect media investment to real business outcomes,” said Reilly. “Stagwell has the infrastructure and expertise to deliver that, this role is about bringing that full picture into every engagement.”
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Media Contact
Quinn Werner
PR@stagwellglobal.com
Appointment marks first in a series of senior growth hires as Stagwell scales its integrated model following 25% new business growth in 2025
NEW YORK CITY, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 10, 2026 / Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) today announced the appointment of Nicole Souza as Chief Growth Officer, North America, as the company continues to scale its enterprise growth model following a year of record new business performance.
Stagwell delivered 25% new business growth in 2025, adding partnerships with brands including Starbucks, PepsiCo and Target, momentum driven by its integrated approach across creative, media, data, and technology. Souza’s appointment represents a deliberate step to operationalize and accelerate this integrated approach at scale and is the first in a series of senior growth hires planned for 2026.
Souza joins from Publicis Groupe, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer for its creative division, leading growth across a global portfolio of agencies. She brings deep experience translating integrated capabilities into enterprise-level wins, with prior leadership roles at Saatchi & Saatchi and Deutsch New York. In this role, Souza will lead growth across North America, focused on scaling Stagwell’s enterprise momentum, shaping and winning high-value opportunities, connecting capabilities across the network, and expanding them into long-term client partnerships.
“Nicole is a builder,” said Ryan Linder, EVP and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Stagwell. “We’ve proven the model works, clients are responding to a more connected, modern approach to marketing. Now it’s about scaling that with intention. Nicole knows how to take complexity and turn it into growth, and that’s exactly what this next phase requires.”
Souza will also play a key role in advancing Stagwell’s go-to-market strategy around its creative capabilities and AI-driven marketing solutions, ensuring the company’s investments in technology and data translate directly into commercial advantage for clients.
“I’m joining Stagwell because it represents the future,” said Souza. “What’s already in place across agencies and capabilities is incredibly powerful, the opportunity now is to scale that into even greater impact for clients.”
Souza reports to Linder and is based in New York.
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the global challenger network transforming marketing through AI. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Media Contact
Madi Wick
PR@stagwellglobal.com