Maxus picks Richard Stokes as Global New Business & Marketing Director

Richard Stokes, a media executive with extensive experience with both agencies and media companies, has been named Global New Business & Marketing Director for Maxus, the award-winning GroupM agency network, it was announced today.

The announcement was made by Maxus Global CEO Vikram Sakhuja, who said Stokes will begin his new role in early March. He will be based in London and will report to Lindsay Pattison, the agency’s Global Chief Strategy Officer and CEO of Maxus UK.

“We’re delighted that Richard is joining our team,” Sakhuja said.  “He has all the skills required to help Maxus grow and build on the success we have seen over the last three years.”
Stokes arrives at Maxus with more than 16 years of industry experience, primarily at media agencies but also at media company IPC Magazines, where he started his career as a sales executive in 1996.  He also worked as a strategist for Yahoo! in the UK.

Most recently, Stokes served as head of New Business & Marketing for ZenithOptimedia Worldwide, a post he held since 2011 after joining the agency in 2006 and working his way up in roles of increasing responsibility, based in the UK and Poland.  He also worked as a planning director at Initiative Media from 1998-2003.

In his new role, Stokes will be responsible for leading all aspects of the Maxus network’s new business and marketing program, driving continued business growth, and marketing Maxus across the 70 agencies in its global network.  His key duties will include heading global and multinational new business pitches and assisting in key local market pitches and overseeing all Maxus branding, marketing and messaging.

Stokes replaces Helena Snowdon, who left the agency at the end of 2012.

“I am hugely excited to be joining Maxus at such a pivotal point in the network's development,” Stokes said.  “The agency's philosophy of leaning into change is inspiring, and Lindsay and Vikram are very clear that the next phase of growth will be driven in part by a strong new business performance.  That will put great focus on my role, which I welcome enthusiastically.  The entire network has real momentum, and I look forward to continuing this growth curve.”

Maxus continues to be the fastest growing media network (according to RECMA) and has trebled in size over the last three years.  The agency now has 1,750 people in 70 offices across 55 countries worldwide.