CreativeRace has confirmed this morning that CEO, Rob Shaw, has left the business.
Shaw, a former CEO of Latitude, Epiphany and Jaywing was brought into the Leeds agency in 2020 to build its digital operations.
“Rob has been a strong figurehead for the agency for the last two years. He has led our digital proposition, built a new leadership team and paved the way for our next phase,” said Gordon Bethell, Chairman of CreativeRace.
“His tenure has now come to a close and the leadership team will continue to deliver our collective vision alongside the exceptional talent we have in place within the agency.”
Shaw joined Latitude in 2006 initially as CTO, he rose to MD, before the fast-growing Warrington agency was sold. He then became CEO of Epiphany, taking an equity stake in the Leeds company, which was later acquired by Jaywing plc. As CEO of the group, he was responsible for developing the Sheffield-based firm in the UK and Australia.
He stepped down in March 2020, joining CreativeRace that September.
Today he wrote on Linkedin:
“After an incredibly rewarding few years I am leaving CreativeRace.
“Taking the helm at CreativeRace and setting such a long established business on a new path as an Integrated Agency has been a wonderful experience.
“With a new Leadership Team, such talented, welcoming colleagues and some wonderful clients both old and new I think there is a bright future ahead for CreativeRace and I wish everyone well.
“I’m now thinking about my next challenge and am speaking to agencies and tech companies both big and small about where I can help in the future.”
Last year Shaw told Prolific North that his aims at CreativeRace were to put the agency “firmly back on the map.”
“Our key focus right now is making sure we have a magnifying glass on what is already good about the agency, and working out how we can add to that with broader capabilities
“You’ve got to do it without breaking what was good about the agency in the first place.”
During the interview he added:
“I turned 50 in lockdown, and I’ve never been more motivated to work and grow agencies and help people.
“It’s been an interesting time for recruitment because a lot of people have taken the summer to reevaluate what they want to do with their careers.”
Shaw, who also invested in the business when he joined, stated that his goals for CreativeRace were not just short term:
“We’re not building this agency for the next 18 months, we’re building it for the long term.
“We’ve been weathering the storm in 2020, and making sure that we are in a position to start 2021 in the healthiest place possible to execute that plan.”
