MRM UK Elevates James Thorley to Executive Creative Director

MRM UK, a leading agency specialising in CRM, CX and Creative Commerce, has announced the promotion of James Thorley to executive creative director, effective immediately.

James is a seasoned creative leader with over 20 years of experience and a portfolio of award-winning work across both B2C and B2B sectors. He was previously group creative director at the agency. In his new role, he will lead MRM UK’s creative department, encompassing conceptual, copy, design and motion graphics teams.

“James is a uniquely talented creative leader, with equal parts mastery in CRM, CX, and Commerce. Elevating him into this role will accelerate success for our clients and teams. We’re excited about this next chapter of growth for MRM UK,” said Ronald Ng, global chief creative officer at MRM.

James' appointment marks a strategic move to further integrate creativity with customer experience and CRM – breaking down silos and ensuring clients benefit from exceptional thinking, craft, and execution.

This promotion follows the recent appointment of Nick Handel as CEO of MRM UK, underscoring the agency’s renewed focus on transformative, collaborative leadership across disciplines.

James Thorley said, “It’s an exciting time at MRM. We have the talent. We have the craft. And we have the ambition. I’m thrilled to help bring it all together and drive our work to the next level.”

Throughout his career at MRM UK, James has applied bold, practical creativity to major clients, including Microsoft, easyJet, Subway, Cigna, Macmillan Cancer Support and Mitsubishi Electric.

This announcement follows a string of creative successes for MRM UK, including recent award-winning work for A&O Shearman, which won Gold for ‘Best B2B Website’ at The Drum Awards 2024. It supports the agency’s broader strategy to fuse creativity with data and technology to deliver more personalised and enduring customer experiences.