Sarah Golding, global partner at T&Pm and the former chief executive of its London advertising shop, is stepping down after over two decades at the agency.
Golding, who is taking the summer off before planning her next career move, will remain in the post until the end of March to help manage succession planning.
After starting her career at Lowe, Golding (then Sarah Gold) joined the then-indie Clemmow Hornby Inge in 2002, just a year after its launch, as its new business director with an equity stake. Golding rose to joint managing director in 2004, alongside Neil Goodlad. She later became managing partner and then, in 2011, joint chief executive alongside Nick Howarth.
The agency, by then part of The & Partnership, appointed her sole chief executive in 2016. In addition, she became IPA president in 2017, serving a two-year term focused on the prescient "magic and the machines" agenda and becoming only the industry body’s second woman in the role.
Golding said: “This has really been an incredibly difficult decision to make. Anyone who knows me will know how much I love this agency and what a huge part of my life it has been, working with a team of brilliant people to grow the business from only a 10-person independent creative agency to a fully integrated 2,000-person global creative and media business with AI at its heart. I’m incredibly proud to have been part of such an amazing agency evolution. But after 23 years, it’s time for new challenges, and I really want to test myself again.”
WPP bought the rest of the agency it did not already own in November last year, after first investing in 2007. Golding divested of her remaining equity in the business at that stage.
Golding, who resigned in September 2024, has been instrumental in the agency's leadership and growth during her tenure.
Johnny Hornby, chief executive and founder of T&Pm said: “I am incredibly proud of everything we have done together over the last 23 years. Hardly anyone stays at one agency for that long, and it just shows what a special agency this is and what a special person Sarah is. We all wish her nothing but success and happiness for all that she does next."
The & Partnership merged with sister shop MSix & Partners in March to become T&Pm in March last year. The combined entity’s global management team comprised Hornby and its three partners, including Golding, Howarth and Jack Swayne, previously MSix & Partners global chief executive.
In November, T&Pm appointed Victoria Appleby, head of sales at Channel 4, as the UK chief executive across its creative and media operations. Later that month, it promoted André Moreira, executive creative director and partner, to global chief creative officer ahead of the departure of UK chief creative officer Toby Allen.
Golding will not be replaced directly. The elevation of Moreira in November means T&Pm continues to have three global partners.
Having launched as Clemmow Hornby Inge in 2001, the agency became CHI & Partners in 2007 after the owners sold a minority stake to WPP. It rebranded as The & Partnership in 2018. WPP purchased additional shares in the business in 2020.
With WPP’s backing, CHI launched sister media agency CHI & Partners Media in 2008. It also underwent name changes and was known as M/SIX from 2012 and MSix & Partners after 2022.
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