British advertising group M&C Saatchi said today that its chief executive Zaid Al-Qassab will step down, effective March 31, after less than two years in the role.
Al-Qassab, formerly the chief marketing officer at Channel 4, was appointed in 2024.
He played a significant role in restructuring the business, reducing over 40 individual businesses to five integrated regions and completing its first merger-and-acquisition deals in seven years.
Advertising groups globally have been hit by weak client spending and delayed contract signings as companies prioritise investments such as artificial intelligence amid ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
The company also appointed Non-Executive Chair Heather Rabbatts as interim executive chair until a new CEO is named, and said it would launch a formal search process.
