Toby Southgate Named Chief Growth Officer at McCann Worldgroup

Toby Southgate has been named Chief Growth Officer of McCann Worldgroup. He was most recently Worldwide CEO of Brand Union, a global brand communications network within WPP. Southgate is a leading professional in the industry who is a trusted adviser to multinational clients. His international experience has been focused on developing and managing high-level client relationships across the UK, Europe, Middle East and the US. 

Harris Diamond, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of McCann Worldgroup, said: “What makes Toby so effective in business development is that he relishes the complexity of brand challenges in today’s complex business environment and he knows how to harness resources to create innovative multiplatform solutions for clients.”

Southgate began his career with Brand Union in 2007 as Managing Director in Abu Dhabi. In 2011, he became CEO for UK and Ireland and, after two years, he was named CEO of the Americas. He was appointed Worldwide CEO for the network in 2015. During his tenure with Brand Union he has worked globally with clients that include Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Vodafone, Sony, HSBC, Pernod Ricard, and Reckitt Benckiser, among others. 

Prior to joining Brand Union, Southgate was the Managing Partner for Third Eye Design. He worked in New York and London, and led the expansion of the business into the US. He established the New York office, which made a significant contribution to the agency and matured the business from a regional design shop to a strategic global brand and design consultancy.

"Three things have made me hungry for this role: a magnetic culture, world-class people, and a relentless, unifying focus on doing great work for great clients,” said Southgate about joining McCann Worldgroup. “For a 100+ year-old business to sit at the cutting edge of our industry is something special. I'm excited to get to work helping clients do more with their businesses and brands.”