Sid McGrath Joins Wunderman Thompson as UK Chief Strategy Officer 

Wunderman Thompson welcomes Sid McGrath as UK chief strategy officer. Sid joins from Karmarama where he spent 14 years transforming the  agency from a small independent to an integrated creative business, part of  Accenture Interactive. Sid’s pivotal role in building a business that stitches creative, data and technology together was a key factor to his appointment at Wunderman Thompson. Not least, Sid has impressive credentials winning  over 30 new business accounts including Lidl, BT Plusnet and the BBC, leading  the teams that produced award-winning work for The Army, Honda and Confused.com, and elevating Karmarama to the highest placed creative agency in The Sunday Times Best Company to Work For five-years running. Prior to Karmarama Sid was head of planning and managing director of HHCL. 

Sid said: “The world’s been turned on its head and preparing clients for what’s coming next is an increasingly complex task. Having a modern approach that integrates data intelligence, technological knowhow and creative ambition is essential for brands to stay relevant, accessible and meaningful. It’s a rarity to find an agency that can credibly do that in today’s industry. Wunderman Thompson can - they are the genuine article” 

“I've never encountered a company with such depth of talent, breadth of capabilities and an energy that fizzes through every discipline. There are no gimmicks or empty promises. They do what they say they will do, as one fully connected team. Grounding their work in business and consumer data and insight, with huge creative ambition, means they can be culturally relevant as well as effective. It means they can tie together the entirety of a brand’s experience in a way I’ve not seen before. The sheer scale of what’s possible with Pip and the team is hugely exciting and I can’t wait to get started.” 

Sid starts on 2nd November, reporting into UK CEO Pip Hulbert, and will have responsibility for Wunderman Thompson’s UK strategy department overseeing work for the likes of BT Group, HSBC, Shell, Nestle and Duracell. Moving forward, Richard Dunn, who has held the position of UK & EMEA CSO for the last five years, will be focussing his attention on developing the region’s strategic capabilities and products as EMEA CSO. 

Pip commented: “Sid’s experience running two progressive and culturally  rich agencies, matched with his understanding of an organisation such as  Accenture makes him the perfect fit for Wunderman Thompson. Not only does  Sid have skills to boot, but his infectious energy, enthusiasm and focus on  driving growth for our clients has made him feel instantly like part of the family.”