New London Hub and Leader for Stagwell

Marcoms group Stagwell, the owner of the Harris Poll and Harris X brands as well as Maru Group, has announced European expansion plans with the launch of a 'global hub' office in London next month, and the promotion of James Townsend to serve as its first CEO of EMEA.

The firm says the London office, set to open in late January in the Blue Fin Building on the South Bank, will serve as the collaborative hub for more than 750 of the 1900 employees in the region. Currently around 7.5% of the group's total revenue comes from EMEA and 25% from outside North America, and Stagwell says it plans 'a strong period of M&A action' in the region.

Townsend (pictured), currently the global CEO of the group's Assembly subsidiary and of its Brand Performance Network, will support the growth of Stagwell's sixteen agency brands in the region, as well as leading its Brand Performance Network, a group of agencies offering connected solutions to marketers. Rick Acampora, currently COO at Assembly, takes over from Townsend as its Global CEO immediately.

Group Chairman and CEO Mark Penn comments: 'We've taken steps over the past few years to expand and grow our operation across EMEA, and we're pleased to accelerate our investment in the region with James Townsend at the helm. From the start, JT has been an invaluable network leader, overseeing the combination of ForwardPMX into Assembly, and then the launch and market success of our Brand Performance Network, which has more than doubled under his leadership'. Townsend himself says of EMEA, 'Throughout the region, we see that clients are seeking strategic partners to support their transformation and growth agendas. With collective capabilities spanning consumer research, media, data, technology, creative, and digital transformation, Stagwell presents a modern alternative to legacy holding companies'.

The group employs more than 13,000 people in more than 34 countries, and is online at www.stagwellglobal.com .