Zillah Byng-Thorne may succeed Gareth Davis as chief of the Barclays and NHS advertising firm.
M&C Saatchi, a London-listed advertising agency, has enticed one of Britain’s most prominent media executives to become its next chair.
Zillah Byng-Thorne, the departing head of Future, the publisher of The Week, has consented to replace Gareth Davis.
In the following days, Mrs. Byng-Thorne’s departure is likely to be confirmed, according to city sources.
Her hiring will undoubtedly be viewed as a coup by investors.
During her tenure at Future, she oversaw the company’s rapid earnings and share price development, transforming it from an “old media” magazine publisher into a digitally-driven group.
Mrs. Byng-Thorne has also committed to leading Trustpilot, an online reviews platform.
Chris Sweetland, a former WPP Group finance executive, is anticipated to join M&C’s board as a director representing the company’s largest shareholder, Vin Murria and AdvancedAdvT.
In the coming months, Lisa Gordon, the agency’s senior independent director, is anticipated to resign from the board.
The boardroom reorganization follows a contentious period for M&C, which was involved in a bidding war with Ms. Murria and another London-listed company, Next Fifteen Communications, last year.
Heineken, Barclays, and other Fortune 500 firms use M&C for advertising, direct marketing, public relations, and sponsorship.
The organisation also works for the NHS and several Whitehall agencies.
Under Moray MacLennan’s stewardship, M&C has returned to growth and reported record annual revenues and profits.
On Thursday, M&C shares were trading at approximately 186p, giving the company a market capitalization of approximately £230m.
