S4 Capital plc SFOR

NEW YORK, Nov. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- S4Capital's operating brand Media.Monks, a digital-first marketing and advertising services company, has hired Dave Carey as Global EVP Studios & Embedded Solutions to lead the Studio.Monks, a digital-first creative studio powered by talent and underpinned by tech, where Carey will continue to build centers of excellence for production around the world. The move underscores Media.Monks' goal to build bespoke creative solutions for brands and deliver access to a studio roster of best-in-class talent.

As a creator-focused, tech-powered team, the Studio.Monks aim to reimagine how content is created, scaled and shared with the world. In his new role, Carey will build on this vision with a focus on fully integrating artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies into the production process—all while ensuring the balance of craft, speed and efficiency that brands rely on to deliver personalized, culturally relevant content to their audiences.

Carey's presence on the team is a foundational step in a broader Media.Monks strategy to infuse AI into every capability across an end-to-end production pipeline—a transformation that is Studio-led. As AI pushes traditional, FTE-based models into obsolescence, Carey and his team will build the blueprint for the next studio model, combining both tech and talent to revolutionize the full spectrum of creative content production.

Media.Monks was recently named one of Adweek's Fastest Growing Agencies for the fourth year straight, and is the operating brand of S4Capital, which reported revenue of almost £1.1 billion in 2022. With a foundational mission to disrupt the digital marketing and technology industry with a single, unitary structure, Media.Monks offers clients seamless access to an 8,550-strong team of multidisciplinary digital talent organized across 57 talent hubs in 32 countries. The Studio.Monks, a team of creative content experts from around the world, exhibits this unified vision by gathering expertise in film, photography, animation, sound, virtual production and more.

"AI has rapidly upended the creative process in the last year, significantly raising client expectations for personalized, relevant creative," said Dave Carey. "When it comes to innovating with AI to enhance creativity, talent and operational efficiencies, Media.Monks is far ahead of its peers. I'm excited to join the team and step into my new role, which will give me the chance to draw on experience in client services, client operations and growth to help us set the standard for the new age, new era model transformed by AI."

"I am thrilled to welcome Dave Carey to the Media.Monks team," said Bruno Lambertini, Co-CEO, Content. "In our journey to deliver exceptional creative experiences to clients and their audiences around the world, Dave's leadership will play a crucial role in revamping our approach to supporting best-in-class talent with the latest cutting-edge technology available to us right now."

"The AI revolution is driving the urgent need for owned, proprietary models built on brands' tone of voice and creativity," said Wesley ter Haar, Co-CEO, Content. "Dave Carey combines the passion to innovate with deep expertise in building embedded brand solutions, which together will help us chart a path forward for the AI-infused pipelines that brand leaders need."

Dave Carey is a growth- and operations-oriented leader and a veteran of the digital advertising and marketing services industry, particularly when it comes to building up embedded, bespoke in-house agencies for regional and global brands. Carey's previous roles include Partner & Managing Director at Dash Agency and President, Canada at OLIVER Agency. Most recently, Carey served as President, Canada & Managing Director Growth NA at Hogarth.

About Media.Monks
Media.Monks is the purely digital operating brand of S4Capital plc that connects 8,550+ digital natives across one global team. We are united by a mission to shift industries forward and pave the path towards ambitious outcomes so our clients and our people can realize their full potential for growth. Our unified model combines solutions in media, data, social, platforms, studio, experience, brand and technology services to help our clients continuously reinvent themselves throughout increasingly rapid cycles of disruption. Our efforts to shape culture, build innovative technologies and unlock the future of growth have earned recognition from numerous esteemed panels: we maintain a constant presence on Adweek's Fastest Growing lists (2019-23), regular recognition at Cannes Lions, inclusion in AdExchanger's Programmatic Power Players (2020-23), the title of Webby Production Company of the Year (2021-23), a record number of FWAs, and have earned a spot on Newsweek's Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces 2023. Together, these achievements solidify our experience in digital innovation, excellence in craft, and commitment to personal growth.

About S4Capital
S4 Capital plc (SFOR.L) is the tech-led, new age/new era digital advertising, marketing and technology services company, established by Sir Martin Sorrell in May 2018.

Our strategy is to build a purely digital advertising and marketing services business for global, multinational, regional, and local clients, and millennial-driven influencer brands. This will be achieved by integrating leading businesses in three practices: Content, Data&digital media and Technology Services, along with an emphasis on 'faster, better, cheaper, more' execution in an always-on consumer-led environment, with a unitary structure.

Victor Knaap, Wesley ter Haar, Christopher S. Martin, Scott Spirit and Mary Basterfield all joined the S4 Capital Board as Executive Directors. The S4 Capital Board also includes Rupert Faure Walker, Paul Roy, Daniel Pinto, Sue Prevezer, Elizabeth Buchanan, Naoko Okumoto, Margaret Ma Connolly, Miles Young and Colin Day.

The Company now has approximately 8,550 people in 32 countries with approximately 70% of revenue across the Americas, 20% across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 10% across Asia-Pacific. The longer-term objective is a geographic split of 60%:20%:20%. Content currently accounts for approximately 60% of revenue, Data&digital media 30% and Technology Services 10%. The long-term objective for the practices is a split of 50%:25%:25%.

Sir Martin was CEO of WPP for 33 years, building it from a £1 million 'shell' company in 1985 into the world's largest advertising and marketing services company, with a market capitalisation of over £16 billion on the day he left. Prior to that Sir Martin was Group Financial Director of Saatchi & Saatchi Company Plc for nine years.

Media Contact:
Sarah Murray
402-658-9341
sarah.murray@mediamonks.com

SOURCE Media.Monks