Digital marketing agency Candidsky has appointed David Vernon as its new managing director following a period of rapid growth and transformation for the agency.
Vernon first joined Candidsky in 2019 as a senior account manager, where he led campaigns for major clients including Yamaha Music Europe, PGL, and brands under the Citation Group. Rising through the ranks to account director, and most recently operations director, he has been instrumental in the agency’s turnaround since 2020 – guiding Candidsky from a three-person team to 14 today and spearheading its expansion into paid media and digital PR.
He takes over from Aaron Cullen, who acquired the agency in 2022 and led its post-pandemic recovery. Cullen now steps into a new role as non-executive director, where he will support Vernon through the leadership transition while pursuing other ventures.
Incoming MD Vernon said: “I couldn’t be happier to step into the managing director role. I’ve backed Candidsky through both tough and exciting times – and never stopped believing in what we’re building. This year, we’re on track to hit £1.2 million in revenue, the highest in our 18-year history. My focus now is to scale what we’ve started and keep driving our vision to become the best search agency in the North.”
Outgoing MD, and now non-executive director, Cullen, added: “From day one, I built a clear transition plan with David to make sure Candidsky’s future was in the right hands. I always believed we’d go far – but what we’ve achieved together has gone beyond even my expectations. His leadership has already delivered real results, and I couldn’t be prouder of where we are now and where we’re heading.
“As I step into this new role, I’ve taken a moment to reflect and honestly, these past three years have been some of the most rewarding of my career. I’m excited to continue supporting David while also gaining the freedom to pursue new ventures.”
Vernon assumes the role of managing director with immediate effect.
