The share price of M&C Saatchi Plc has jumped 6% today – despite wider market falls – after it announced that its CEO will leave ‘by mutual consent’ at the end of the month.
Zaid Al-Qassab, former CMO at Channel 4, joined in 2024 to help stabilise the business and it has introduced cost savings amid falling annual revenue.
In an unaudited trading update for the year to 31st December 2025, the advertising and marketing business said like-for-like net revenue is expected to fall around 7%, or around 2.5% excluding Australia – a ‘black hole’ for the business.
Dame Heather Rabbatts, currently non-executive chair, will assume the role of executive chair on an interim basis while the search for a successor gets underway.
Tech powerhouse Vin Murria OBE (below), a substantial and long-term investor in the business both privately and through her company AdvancedAdvT, has been appointed deputy chair. Murria holds 11.8% of M&C Saatchi while AdvancedAdvT owns 9.8%.
AdvancedAdvT has confirmed this morning that it will not make a takeover bid for M&C Saatchi.
After forming listed vehicle AdvancedAdvT, Murria’s takeover approaches for M&C Saatchi in 2022 were met with investor pushback. AdvancedAdvT – now described as an international software solutions provider for the business solutions, healthcare compliance and human capital management sectors – turned its attention to other acquisitions.
However exited entrepreneur Murria is now taking a more central role at struggling M&C Saatchi, which also commenced a share buyback programme of up to £4.5m this morning.
“Zaid has been instrumental in leading the company through its transformation and business integration, from over 40 independent businesses to five connected regions benefiting from end-to-end marketing services offerings,” the firm stated.
“Zaid also undertook the company’s first M&A transactions in seven years, successfully integrating two acquired businesses as well as launching and uniting the company behind its business proposition, Cultural Power.
“The board remains focused on delivering shareholder value. Through the success of our transformation programme and improvements in our operating model, we remain confident in medium term growth across all profit indicators. However, there is further work to do to maximise shareholder value.”
To this end, it said it had appointed Murria and also an independent non-executive director in Nicholas Shott.
Shott has spent much of his career at Lazard, where he held senior roles including vice chairman of European investment banking and head of UK investment banking.
Dame Heather said: “In my role as interim executive chair, I will be focused on driving our strategy and shareholder value, and supporting our talented team to continue to deliver best-in-class solutions for our clients through our diverse portfolio of specialisms.
“I am delighted to welcome Vin and Nicholas to the board. They both bring a wealth and breadth of experience advising listed companies, and will reinforce the Board’s existing expertise and strategic insight.”
Murria said: “As a long-term shareholder, I am looking forward to working with Heather and the Board to support the delivery of the company’s strategy and to drive the business forward.
“M&C Saatchi is a special business that has significant exposure to high-growth sectors through its diverse portfolio of specialisms with huge potential for value creation across all its constituent parts.”