Conrad Persons Named President of Grey London
Creative Entrepreneur appointed UK Leader for Grey Group
Grey London has appointed Conrad Persons as its new President. Conrad will report to Grey CEO, Laura Maness.
Laura Maness said: “Conrad is an entrepreneurial, thoughtful, collaborative, compassionate leader and true team builder with an extraordinary ability to leverage the power of creativity to unlock new sources of growth. Whether it’s strategically identifying new audiences, creating new products and brand experiences, or designing business models that better balance the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit—he’s known for his versatility, inclusivity and ability to rapidly simplify the complex and ruthlessly prioritise the actions that will drive the most valuable impact. Mash—the studio he co-founded—was known as an indispensable growth engine for clients, and that’s exactly the type of leadership, ingenuity and outsized value we aim to bring to our clients.”
On his appointment, Conrad said: “I am honored and excited to join the dynamic team at Grey London. Grey’s commitment to creative excellence aligns perfectly with my own passion for innovative, solution-first ideas. Together, we will continue to push boundaries and create exceptional work for our clients and the audiences we serve.”
Global Chief Creative Officer, Gabriel Schmitt, adds: “Conrad’s infectious energy, humility, and sense of humor puts teams and clients at ease. When he’s not rolling up his sleeves in the boardroom solving strategic business challenges, you’ll find him authoring fiction or spending time with his three amazing kids. His performance and track record proved he’s the real deal, and I’m excited for our people and our clients in the UK and around the world to feel his impact alongside the incredibly strong team we’ve assembled in London.”
Conrad’s appointment is one of the first executive hires jointly-made by Laura Maness and Gabriel Schmitt. Conrad brings with him a wealth of global experience as a former co-founder and CEO, and in recent years served as a highly sought-after business strategist leading complex organisations through massive cycles of change and transformation. His impressive track record includes helping some of the world’s most recognised brands, such as Amazon, Ben and Jerry’s, and EY, harness the power of creativity to drive business growth.
Conrad’s impressive career is a testament to his robust international experience, significantly contributing to key global hubs. His global footprint expanded when he ventured to Tokyo, founding a groundbreaking strategy unit at Ogilvy Japan, catering to esteemed clients like Baidu, KFC, and AMEX. He was a founding member of Clear M&C Saatchi in New York, where he played a pivotal role in nurturing the business, shaping its culture, and building a talented team. He co-founded and led Mash, an influential strategy agency based in London, which rapidly expanded with a second studio in New York.
Mash worked with clients across more than 20 markets, including the United States, China, India, Singapore, Indonesia, and most of Europe. The Asia-Pacific region held particular significance for Conrad, serving as a ground for cultural insights, innovation in product development, and brand expansion.
Under his leadership, Mash established itself with four distinct business services—insight, growth strategy, innovation, and creative brand transformation. With an enviable client roster including Johnson & Johnson, Samsung, Unilever, PepsiCo, Vodafone, and Warner Music Group, the studio achieved remarkable success in a short period of time, and was acquired by WPP in 2018. Notably, for two consecutive years under Conrad’s leadership post-acquisition, Mash boasted an 85% employee retention rate of its original staff. Most recently, Conrad served as Global Strategist at WPP and considers London home after 15 years.
A business-and-people-first leader who takes pride in building a healthy commercial organisation and strong culture simultaneously, Conrad is also a mentor to many creatives and strategists in the industry, and has recently founded a scholarship in the US to make education more accessible to underrepresented groups.