Meanwhile has appointed Mike Rose, the founder and former CEO at Chapter, as chairperson.
Rose, who has been consulting for the ad agency from former BBC Creative chiefs James Cross and Tim Jones during its launch phase, starts his official role as chairperson immediately and will work closely with the pair’s fellow founder and CEO, Al Marchant, on business growth and operations.
In his previous role, Rose established the agency Chapter, along with two creative partners, and grew the agency with clients that included Nissan, Halfords, Crowdcube and Virgin. He exited the business in 2018, following the agency’s successful acquisition and subsequent rebrand as ‘Story’ by The Mission Marketing Group.
Since then, Rose has held various non-exec advisory, brand consultancy and investor roles across a variety of businesses, which he’ll continue with alongside his new Meanwhile commitments.
Rose said “The founding team at Meanwhile are very serious about disrupting the agency model, which is something I’ve always been incredibly passionate about. I’ve always felt that there has to be a different way, an alternative to the tired old structures that have stood for decades, and our approach at Chapter did just that. So, 14 years on to be supporting and guiding the team on their journey of disruption is incredibly exciting and invigorating.
“The early work, wins and awards success prove that clients are actively looking for a credible alternative, which is in part being driven by the tougher economic environment, so the Meanwhile model with global top tier BAFTA winning creative talent, collaboration and tech enablement at its heart is really resonating both in the UK and internationally.”
Marchant added: “Mike’s been there, done that, and still has the t-shirt. Fortunately, it still just about fits, so we’re really excited about him bringing his enormous experience to Meanwhile. His involvement to date (mainly in dodgy hotels just off the M6) has already been invaluable, and his enthusiasm infectious. I’m delighted to officially welcome him to the team.”
The appointment coincides with a recruitment campaign launched by the agency this week, featuring Bez from the Happy Mondays departing the agency following his involvement at launch.
