Former DAN APAC CEO Nick Waters heads to consultancy side with Ebiquity

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Independent marketing and media consultancy Ebiquity has brought on board Nick Waters as group CEO, effective 1 July. He will also be appointed as an executive director of the board. Following his appointment, interim CEO Alan Newman will resume his role as CEO and operating officer.

In a statement to Marketing, Waters said his vision for the role is to come through this crisis in reasonable shape, and build on Ebiquity’s current leading position as a media and marketing consultant. "The role for consultancies grows as the landscape gets more complex. Marketers will benefit from objective advice to help them navigate the complexity," he added.

Waters was most recently the executive chairman, UK and Ireland at Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), having previously been CEO of Asia Pacific for nine years. He moved to London in December 2018 after DAN appointed Takaki Hibino as executive chairman of DAN Asia Pacific. While Waters was CEO, the Asia Pacific business grew rapidly as a result of the acquisition of Aegis media by Dentsu and several subsequent acquisitions. During his tenure the Asia Pacific region added scale, quality and new capabilities to the company, becoming a market leading business with over 60% of revenues derived from digital activities. In total, Waters was with DAN for nearly 10 years before leaving the network in December last year.

Prior to DAN, he held a number of senior roles at global media agency Mindshare over more than 10 years, which he joined from Ogilvy (formerly known as Ogilvy & Mather). At Mindshare, he progressed to become CEO of EMEA having been CEO of Asia Pacific and previously CEO of Southeast Asia. Waters brings more than 20 years’ experience in senior executive roles at leading international media, digital and advertising businesses.

Waters said: "Ebiquity has built a market leading position with a highly attractive proposition for global brands and advertisers. I look forward to joining the company and driving the business forward through the next phase of its growth journey."

Meanwhile, group chairman Rob Woodward said Waters has an outstanding track record of leading global media and marketing businesses which will greatly benefit Ebiquity.

"He is an excellent addition to our executive team and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the media sector. The appointment of such a high calibre executive is a testament to the strength of the business and the growth opportunity ahead," Woodward said.

He also thanked Newman for his strong leadership and commitment to the business in the role of interim CEO, particularly through the current challenging environment and implementation of prudent measures to manage the business. "Waters and Newman have highly complementary skills and experience, which will significantly strengthen the executive team," Woodward added.