Digital agency Aqueduct has boosted its senior management line-up with the appointment of TMW Unlimited’s chief creative officer Gareth James who joins as creative partner. James will report to the agency’s joint CEO’s Rob Oubridge and Tim Seddon.
James brings 20 years of industry experience to his new role. He spent 14 years at TMW Unlimited, culminating in his promotion to chief creative officer in 2012. During his tenure at the agency, James and his team won numerous industry awards including a Cannes Lions gold for Guinness, a Webby Honoree and Campaign Big Award for Lynx, and an IAB creative showcase award for Durex’s ‘Turn Off to Turn On’ campaign.
As creative partner at Aqueduct, James will lead the agency’s creative output across its client portfolio, which includes Team GB, Manchester City FC, Grant’s Whisky and Lloyd’s of London. He has been tasked with putting creativity at the heart of the agency, ensuring it works seamlessly with technology and strategic planning. He will also sit on the board and help drive new business at the agency.
James’ appointment follows that of Guillaume Buat-Ménard who returned to Aqueduct as chief technical officer earlier this year after three years at TMW Unlimited where he worked as technical director and then chief technical officer. Buat-Ménard heads up Aqueduct’s technical offering and is responsible for defining its methodology. James and Buat-Ménard will work together to unite creativity, technology and strategic planning across the agency and its output.
Rob Oubridge, founder and joint CEO of Aqueduct comments: “To be the best, you need to hire the best possible talent and I think we’ve found that in Gareth and Guillaume. Creativity and technology sit at the heart of everything we do and along with strategic planning, they make up the three key areas of our business. Gareth and Guillaume will lead the way in which these disciplines work together to deliver outstanding results for clients. They have the right mix of skill, experience and ambition to take us forward.”
Gareth James comments: “I’m excited by the opportunity and challenge of putting creativity at the very heart of Aqueduct. A constant stream of new innovations and emerging technologies make this a great time to be working in our industry and we’ll be looking to harness these to give our clients the edge. Aqueduct’s desire to build truly collaborative teams and its nimble working environment are also a great draw.”