Octagon Bolsters Team with New Hires Maria Kivimaa and Laura Fairweather

Octagon today announced the addition of two senior leaders in the UK, with Maria Kivimaa named head of planning, and Laura Fairweatherappointed business development and marketing director. Maria and Laura will be based in Octagon’s London office, and report into Jeff Meeson, managing director, Octagon Europe.

Maria will lead Octagon’s industry-leading planning team, and will oversee the agency’s UK strategy efforts across its collection of Fortune 500 clients, including Cisco, Mastercard, and Standard Chartered, among many others. Laura will spearhead Octagon’s business development and marketing initiatives across the UK. 

“We are thrilled to add Maria and Laura to our team. Their combined years of insight and expertise in creative planning, business development, and marketing will continue to enhance our world-class capabilities,” said Meeson. “Maria’s work crafting targeted brand messages and facilitating captivating campaigns, along with Laura’s wealth of experience from both the agency and brand side will be strong additions and align perfectly with our commitment to delivering best-in-class work for our clients.”

“I’m incredibly excited to join Octagon and to continue producing some of the most impactful, thought-provoking campaigns across the sports world,” said Maria. “Coming from the world of culture, and with my experience of helping brands to infiltrate this space and its audience, I look forward to digging in with our creative team across the UK to develop meaningful work that will leave a lasting impression and truly resonate with audiences around the world.”

Prior to joining Octagon, Maria served as global strategy director at TBWA/NEBOKO, leading strategy for Adidas and Adidas Originals. Previously, she worked at agencies including Wieden+Kennedy, Iris Worldwide, and Amplify, where she led the creative strategy for iconic global brands such as Bvlgari, Nike, and Warner Music. 

“Joining Octagon, at such an exciting time of expansion and growth, is thrilling,” said Laura. “Octagon has been a leader in sports and entertainment marketing for decades, and I’m keen to dig in and work alongside such driven and passionate individuals with a collective focus on delivering game-changing work for our clients.”

Laura joins Octagon from prominent roles at Osprey Europe, Stance Socks, and Hectic Europe. In those roles, Laura worked across EMEA markets to launch global brands from Australia and the U.S., working alongside major properties including Formula 1, the NFL, NBA, and many others. Laura began her career with PUMA UK as a member of the lifestyle marketing team, focusing on key accounts and special projects.