Maxus Names U.K. Head Pattison Global Chief Strategy Officer

Lindsay Pattison, CEO of Maxus UK, has been named global chief strategy officer, a new position at the GroupM media network. The London-based Pattison retains her current duties while assuming the global job.

Pattison’s additional responsibilities include oversight of the WPP agency’s global planning, data and insights, digital, marketing, and new business. She will also act as the lead in the agency’s global client relationships, many of which are based in the U.K.

In creating the new strategy role, Maxus global CEO Kelly Clark cited the four-year-old agency's recent significant growth. Maxus has enjoyed a slew of new business wins including last summer's split of NBCUniversal’s $1 billion-plus U.S. media account, which it shares with Publicis Groupe agencies, and, a week later, nearly $1 billion in S.C. Johnson global media.

Prior to joining Maxus in 2009, Pattison was managing partner at PHD UK.  She also spent time on the client side at Sony Ericsson after beginning her career at Young & Rubicam.

Clark said recent U.K. management changes at the agency helped set the stage for Pattison’s larger global role. Last December, Tim Irwin was promoted to U.K. COO, and in March, Nick Baughan joined as managing director from sister agency Mindshare.  Last week GroupM said Clark will become CEO of GroupM’s North American operations this fall. Pattison will report to him until Maxus’ new chief, Vikram Sakhuja, the CEO of GroupM India and South Asia, assumes his new role later this year.