Initiative Taps Dentsu Aegis' Morris As New UK CEO

• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, May 4, 2017

In a bid to meet aggressive growth goals in the market, Initiative has appointed its first UK CEO—Richard Morris, a 20-year industry veteran.

Morris joins Initiative, part of Interpublic’s Mediabrands unit, from Dentsu Aegis Network, where he was Global Client President. Previously Morris was Chief Growth Officer, Dentsu Aegis Network EMEA, focusing on network growth through client and capability development.

Earlier Morris was Managing Director of Vizeum UK (also part of Dentsu Aegis) for four years, responsible for repositioning and restructuring the agency around Innovation. He’s credited with achieving record new business performance there.

Morris will report to Caroline Foster Kenny, CEO of IPG Mediabrands EMEA and Matt Baxter Initiative’s global CEO.

Kenny described Morris as a  “proven and dynamic leader [whose] drive and ambition will be crucial as the agency enters an exciting new era, with a new proposition that places Culture at the centre of our thinking.”

The hiring of Morris is the latest of several senior appointments by Mediabrands to bolster its UK leadership team. In March the firm tapped Pete Durant to lead social and digital content specialist Mediabrands Society.

The company also recently elevated Phil Tattersall to the post of COO for IPG Mediabrands UK, while James Fairweather and Nick Tulloch have moved into Head of UK roles for Reprise and Cadreon respectively.