Kate MacNevin Named Global Chief Executive Officer of Stein IAS and Executive Chair of MSQ B2B

MSQ has appointed Kate MacNevin as global CEO of its award-winning B2B agency Stein IAS and the executive chair of MSQ B2B. Kate will lead all aspects of Stein IAS global business, as well as building the MSQ group’s wider B2B offering across the globe.

At Stein IAS, Kate will oversee a seasoned leadership team including chairman and chief brand officer, Tom Stein, and global president, Craig Duxbury. She will report to MSQ’s Board and executive director, Kate Howe.

Kate brings more than 30 years of experience across diverse verticals including 18 years with McCann Worldgroup where she rose through the ranks from leading on the agency’s Canadian General Motors business to becoming the executive director of global operations for Commonwealth//McCann. Most recently, she’s been leading MRM, McCann’s global direct and digital marketing agency, as global chairwoman and CEO. Under her leadership, Kate was credited with leading the agency to incredible growth, building its creative reputation and nurturing client relationships with brands like Chevrolet, Cigna, and the US Postal Service.

Kate Howe, executive director of MSQ, said, “Attracting an agency leader with Kate’s track record is huge for us and a testament to the trajectory of MSQ and Stein IAS. Her expertise in managing scaled global operations will be invaluable as we execute on MSQ’s ambitions to create agency hubs across the US, UK, mainland Europe and Asia. I’m thrilled that she has chosen to join MSQ and I look forward to working closely with her as we build out our B2B offering.”

Recently, Stein IAS won an ARF David Ogilvy Award, the first in the agency’s history, for their work on Juniper Networks. Additionally, they also took home 6sense Breakthrough Awards Partner of the Year over global brands including LinkedIn and Hubspot. 

Kate said, “MSQ stands out as an independent group that puts clients at the heart of everything it does. It’s entrepreneurial spirit, unique proposition, and collaboration between its agencies to deliver results attracted me to the position. With this nimble model the group has created, the possibilities are endless. B2B is operating more and more with strategies from the D2C landscape and with the power and scale of MSQ, we can help clients move with the speed of their consumers, effectively, with no guardrails to hold us back.”

At Cannes this year, Stein IAS together with WARC and LinkedIn launched the first-ever model that unifies the brand-to-demand experience (BDX). The BDX model, its principles and key strategies are detailed in-depth in the seminal report, Brand to Demand: Unlocking Sustainable Growth in B2B. 

Earlier this month, MSQ announced the acquisition of award-winning New York-based creative agency, SPCSHP, doubling the group’s presence in the US. Additionally, the group partnered with WARC to release their proprietary research whitepaper, Ritualized, a guide to help brands tap into the power of consumer behaviour.