Newish AMV BBDO CEO Xavier Rees, former CEO of Havas London and before that senior at adam&eveDDB, has made a big move in recruiting Jo Arden from Ogilvy as his new group CSO and Jemima Monies, who left McCann rather surprisingly at the tail end of last year, as group chief growth officer. Monies, COO at McCann, was a key member of then A&E CEO James Murphy’s team as the agency won 20 pitches on the spin at one point.
Rees says: “These hires are a signal of our ambition for 2025 and beyond. I’ve been looking for the right opportunity to work with Jo for several years now, so I’m incredibly excited to bring her into our team.
“Jo’s strategic talent is second to none, and her ability to connect human truths with business challenges gives brands a sharper, more relevant place in the world. Her obsession with effectiveness has earned her place as one of the most trusted voices in our industry, and her arrival signals our ambition to drive even greater impact for our clients.
“Jemima’s track record speaks for itself. She has an impressive ability to drive growth and nurture teams that deliver exceptional results. She understands what it takes to win, and she knows this industry inside out. Couple this with her infectious enthusiasm and Jem is a perfect fit for AMV as we look to push into a strong year ahead. I can’t wait to work with her again” (all below, Arden left)
Omnicom-owned AMV has fallen a long way since the two-decade period it dominated UK creative agency billings. If Rees and his new team can recapture some of that (it helped when the late David Abbott was around of course) and some of Omnicom sibling A&E in Monies’ time, then the upper echelons of London’s holding company creative agencies could become rather more interesting.
