AMV Group Completes Executive Leadership Team with 2 Senior Appointments

AMV Group has bolstered its Executive Leadership Team with two key appointments as it enters an exciting new chapter under CEO Xavier Rees.

Jo Arden and Jemima Monies join as group chief strategy officer and group chief growth officer, respectively - the roles further consolidate the group’s focus on driving business transformation and creative excellence across AMV BBDO and Redwood BBDO.

Jo and Jemima will work alongside group CEO Xavier Rees, the Senior Leadership Teams of both agencies, including joint chief creative officers Nadja Lossgott and Nicholas Hulley, AMV BBDO, Redwood CEO Colin Kennedy, and the recently hired group COO, Steve Mills.

Jo will join in March 2025 and brings a wealth of experience having built a reputation as one of the most respected strategic leaders in the industry. Currently chief strategy officer at Ogilvy UK, she is known for her unrivalled expertise across the modern media landscape, from brand to social, direct marketing to behaviour change and beyond. Prior to Ogilvy, Jo led strategy across various disciplines and business segments as CSO at Publicis Poke and MullenLowe London, and before that as head of strategy at 23red. Notably, Jo spent over a decade working on Government campaigns from smoking cessation to environmental protection, nursing recruitment and beyond.

Jo has played a key part in shaping the conversation around effectiveness through her role on the IPA’s Effectiveness Leadership Group and as Convenor of Judges for the 2024 IPA Effectiveness Awards. She is the deputy chair of the History of Advertising Trust and has been a regular contributor to Campaign UK’s ‘A View From’ series since 2021 and is a regular industry commentator.

Jemima joins this month from McCann London, where she was chief operating officer, helping to spearhead its transformation over the last 18 months, embedding a culture of growth and setting new standards across the business. Last year the agency was named Cannes Lions 2024 Top UK Agency. Prior to McCann, Jemima first worked with Rees at adam&eveDDB, where she spent nearly a decade focused on growing the business and building its global reputation, latterly in the role of chief marketing and operations officer. During her tenure, the agency doubled in size and won both Campaign and Cannes Agency of the Decade with multiple Agency of the Year wins.

Jemima’s expertise in driving growth and fame for agencies and their clients, and building high-performing teams, is matched by her deep understanding of the industry, honed over senior roles at J Walter Thompson (now VML), MCBD, and Campaign’s former sister title, Marketing. She is a well-known advocate for the agency growth and marketing community, writing extensively on pitching and the importance of the new business function. She is a former chair of the IPA New Business & Marketing Group, and former member of the UKAEG Steering Committee and NABS Fast Forward mentor.

Both Jo and Jemima are exec members of WACL, the member organisation driving gender equality in advertising and communications.  

AMV group CEO Xavier Rees commented, “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”.

Reflecting on her new role, Jo Arden said, “Everyone has a favourite AMV ad: not just industry people, real people. It’s an agency that has been part of the fabric of our country for decades. With Xav, Jem, Nick, Nadja, Steve and the crew, we’ll keep finding new ways to connect and celebrate with new generations of buyers and shoppers. There’s unbelievable talent at AMV making knockout work for ambitious brands – of course I want in!”

Whilst Jemima Monies said, “When I started out as an adland journo AMV was one of the agencies I wished I worked at. It has long attracted and grown exceptional talent and businesses, and continues to create highly lauded and impactful work under Nick and Nadja. I am so looking forward to working with them, Xav, Jo, Steve and the team, and with lots of old and new faces across the group to keep up the momentum.”

These appointments mark a pivotal moment for AMV Group as it doubles down on its mission to craft big ideas that real people love. With Jo and Jemima joining an already formidable leadership team, the agency is well-positioned to continue its legacy of delivering transformative campaigns while driving sustained growth into 2025 and beyond.