M&C Saatchi UK Appoints Gemma Knox, ex-Pandora and Vice Marketer, as Group Managing Director and Global Client Lead

Feb. 06, 2025

M&C Saatchi UK has further strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Gemma Knox to the newly created role of Group Managing Director and Global Client Lead, as it continues to embed its new Cultural Power proposition.

Knox joined M&C Saatchi in September 2024 in a client leadership role, and has now stepped into this newly created dual position. She spearheaded M&C Saatchi’s recent appointment as Allwyn Group’s global integrated communications agency.

Prior to that, Knox’s most recent permanent role was Global Brand and Strategy Director at the world’s biggest jewellery brand, Pandora. During her time there, Knox spearheaded a comprehensive brand transformation and new global brand communications model, overseeing strategy and campaigns across 100+ countries. Under her leadership, the brand achieved record-high revenue for two consecutive years.

Before joining Pandora, Knox was Managing Director, Northern Europe at Virtue Worldwide, VICE Media Group’s creative agency, where she led European consolidation, streamlining operations and fostering collaboration across regional offices, and directed a cross-functional management team across multiple regions, driving organic growth and securing significant new business wins.

Having taken on her first agency role at M&C Saatchi in 2007, Knox has also held client service and business development positions at Sunshine, 180 Amsterdam and Karmarama. 

In her new role as Group Managing Director and Global Client Lead at M&C Saatchi, Knox will lead strategic initiatives and oversee client relationships on a global scale, ensuring the delivery of high-quality integrated services across the group. Her responsibilities will include managing a diverse team across different specialisms, driving business growth, and fuelling innovative strategies to enhance the company's creative reputation.

Knox will join M&C Saatchi UK’s leadership team, reporting directly to UK Group CEO Jo Bacon. She will also collaborate closely with Group Chief Marketing Officer, Emma Storer, and Global Joint Chief Creative Officers Rob Doubal and Laurence Thomson, as well as the soon-to-be-announced Chief Strategy Officer.

Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said:

"We’re so excited to welcome Gemma back to M&C Saatchi. Her impressive experience across media and entertainment, combined with her client-side work in fashion and luxury, fits perfectly with our Cultural Power proposition. She really gets the cultural zeitgeist and knows how to work across social, content, and brand strategy to deliver impactful work. With her diverse background and fresh perspective, we can’t wait to see the mark she’ll make as we push our work to the next level."

 

Gemma Knox, new Group Managing Director and Global Client Lead, M&C Saatchi UK, added:

"I’m thrilled to return to M&C Saatchi in this new role. Having cut my teeth here in 2007, it feels like coming home. Great organisations are built on trust, purpose, and a shared vision, and I’m committed to fostering a culture where creativity thrives, people feel valued, and everyone is inspired to do their best work. I bring a wealth of global, client-side, culture-first, and integrated experience to the agency, and I’m looking forward to collaborating with the team to drive growth and create campaigns that lead with heart and build Cultural Power."