Agencies and industry organizations directly post original announcements on Adweek Wire. Adweek does not review or edit these announcements.

Lively hires former Wolff Olins exec Steve Richards for new Chief Operating Officer role

Lively, the award-winning global brand experience agency, has named Steve Richards to the new role of chief operating officer.

Richards is a veteran of the communications industry, having held global COO roles at Wolff Olins and Mofilm, as well as the MD of Grey Worldwide.

At Lively, Richards’ role will be to reinforce the operational foundations of the agency, using his wealth of experience to shift the business from disruptor to market leader.

Steve has worked across advertising, brand and digital content in client service roles, helping build brands including Kellogg, BT, KPMG and Volvic; as well as holding management roles across all commercial aspects of agencies. His career has seen him live in seven countries on four continents, from Beijing to San Francisco.

Mike White, CEO and Founding Partner at Lively, said: “We are really excited to have Steve on board. Lively is on an ambitious growth objective and this is the first of a number of key recruitments over the coming months. Steve’s background with global agency leaders such as Wolff Olins and Grey Worldwide, as well as dynamic businesses like Mofilm, gives him a diverse range of experience that is relevant to Lively offering.”

Steve Richards said: “Everyone’s talking about the importance of experience and hybrid events, but Lively is doing something different. These guys are enabling clients to deliver audience engagement through a blend of proprietary tech and best-in-class content. The opportunity to be part of something truly disruptive was something I couldn’t pass up.”

Lively is an award-winning global brand experience agency. We believe there’s a sweet spot between physical and digital events, where brands can connect with audiences. With this we create powerful, emotionally engaging content that delivers reach and loyalty in a connected world. We call this sweet spot Live Marketing.