AFTER 30 years with The Leith Agency and subsequently, as CEO of Cello Signal (the consumer communications division of Cello Health PLC), John Rowley is stepping back from his full-time remit to become a Senior Non-Executive Director with Cello’s Edinburgh based agencies and Advisor to Cello Health PLC.
Cello’s Edinburgh agencies, The Leith Agency, Stripe Communications, and Tanami will be structured into a new division called Cello Connect alongside London based agencies, Stripe Communications London, Opticomm and SignalCX.
From May 2020 the day to day leadership of Cello Connect will be taken up by Richard Marsham, CEO of Leith Group who will become Executive Chairman of Connect, and Juliet Simpson, CEO of Stripe who will become CEO of Cello Connect. Both will maintain their current leadership roles at Leith and Stripe.
John Rowley said: “It’s been a wonderful experience with Leith, Stripe and Cello. You only stay with a company as long as I have if you’re having a lot of fun. I’m particularly pleased to be handing over to such a strong team in Richard and Juliet. I’ll continue to maintain close links with the Connect agencies as a Non-Executive Director and give the wider Cello community my full support.”
Mark Scott, CEO of Cello Health PLC, said: “On behalf of everyone at Cello, I wish to thank John for his pivotal contribution to the formation and shaping of the Group over the years. We are delighted he will continue to be closely involved in our ongoing development in his new role. Going forward the Connect team have our full support in continuing to build a vibrant business across the industry sectors it serves.”
John started his career at Leith in 1989 as an Account Manager on the agency’s flagship account – Tennent’s Lager, then a Bass Brewers’ brand. The agency then extended their remit with Bass to include all the Scottish brands, followed by the national remit for Grolsch and Carling.
Through the 90s John also led the successful pitches for Barr’s IRN-BRU, Bank of Scotland, ScottishPower and Standard Life. In that period John rose to be CEO and, alongside John Denholm, the agency’s Chairman, led Leith’s buyout from 3i in 1998 and its subsequent sale to Cello Group in 2004. Leith was one of three inaugural acquisitions that formed Cello, which subsequently listed on AIM. The Group now employs over 1,000 people worldwide.
In 2006 the Group supported Juliet Simpson in founding Stripe Communications and, three years later, supported Opticomm Media which was started by Spencer Stratford.
The newly formed Cello Connect will employ 185 people between Edinburgh and London and clients include Royal Bank of Scotland, The Scottish Government, A.G.Barr, ScottishPower, Merlin Entertainment, Nando’s, Marie Curie, Network Rail and Edrington.
