M+C Saatchi Group has appointed Karen Boswell to the newly created role of global chief transformation officer.
In the new role Boswell, who is currently global CEO of consulting, experience and performance, will lead a new specialist team built around built around return on cultural power (RoCP), AI, data, product and effectiveness.
She is joined by Sarah Ellis-Davies who was appointed to global AI strategy, partnerships and product lead, and Nic English who was appointed to head of effectiveness solutions. Together they will build the products, tools and measurement that put the Group’s creative talent to work on a bigger stage, and prove the commercial value of the culture it creates.
Since joining in July 2025, Boswell has led the group’s digital, data and AI transformation across its client-facing businesses and overseen its global product roadmap. She has more than 15 years’ experience leading transformation, with senior roles at VML, WPP’s The Pharm and adam&eveDDB.
“The agency model has fundamentally changed. Every brand is asking the same question: what is culture actually worth to my business? The answer always starts with people. The ideas that move them, and the creative minds brave enough to make them,” said Boswell.
“Return on Cultural Power gives us the thinking. Now we’re building the data, the products and the agentic AI to prove its value for every client we work with. Not to replace creative ingenuity, but to give it more reach, more speed and more proof than it has ever had. Technology will rewrite how agencies work. Our job is to make sure people are still holding the pen,” she added.
Ellis-Davies brings more than 20 years’ experience in innovation, marketing and emerging technology, including senior roles at The Brandtech Group and Telefónica/O2. Most recently, she founded PIVYT, a business innovation and growth consultancy based in London.
English joined M+C Saatchi from VML in June. He was previously lead data consultant at VML, after more than four years at Nike.
“Karen’s new role, alongside Sarah and Nic’s appointments, puts our biggest priorities in the hands of specialist leaders. Great creative work has always been to our advantage. From how we use AI and build products to how we prove the commercial value of cultural power, this is an investment in making that advantage count for our clients and our business.,” said M+C Saatchi global executive chair Dame Heather Rabbatts.
