UK – Former Forsman & Bodenfors CEO Toby Southgate has officially taken the helm as We Are Social’s global group chief executive officer, bringing his expertise in creative leadership to drive the agency’s global growth and innovation.
As global CEO, Southgate will lead We Are Social’s 1,200-strong team across four continents. He will work to enhance collaboration, drive growth, and expand the agency’s creative offerings in partnership with major clients like Samsung, Amazon Music, Starbucks, adidas, Activision, Netflix, and Booking.com.
Southgate previously served as CEO of Forsman & Bodenfors, where he unified global offices post-merger, achieved gender pay equity, and strengthened cross-border collaboration. Under his leadership, the agency worked with major clients like Volvo, Google, Procter & Gamble, and Diageo.
With global experience spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, Southgate was also global chief growth officer at McCann WorldGroup, holding regional leadership roles across Europe and the UK. Earlier, he spent a decade at WPP’s Brand Union, leading it to its first major wins at Cannes and the Effies.
Talking about his appointment, Southgate shared, “I’ve long admired We Are Social. It led the way by recognising the power of social and digital platforms for brands at scale, and, as a result, it’s the only truly global agency in its space. Today, We Are Social has an extremely talented team and an incredibly bright future.”
“We’ll be expanding our offering as the world’s most creative social agency, in partnership with what is undeniably a stellar roster of clients. The energy and appetite for growth and evolution with the network is really compelling. The role was very easy to accept,” he added.
Southgate takes over from We Are Social co-founder and former group CEO Nathan McDonald, who stepped down in October 2024. Brett Marchand, CEO of parent company Plus Company, served as interim CEO.
Marchand commented, “We Are Social has had an extraordinary journey to become the world’s foremost social agency, with a significant global footprint, a talented team, amazing work, and spectacular clients.”
He continued, “I believe that Toby’s experience in leading multinational agencies to growth, combined with an exceptional leadership team at We Are Social, will be the winning combination to unlock the agency’s full potential. Toby’s passion for creating a culture where people are a priority so they can thrive and do their best work was clear from the outset. He’s a first-class leader who will help steer We Are Social steadfastly into the next stage in its evolution.”
