LONDON — Global digital marketing and strategic communications agency Clarity has appointed chief client officer Rachel Gilley as its new chief executive, as founder and CEO Sami McCabe steps down.

McCabe, who plans to focus on other projects after setting up the agency 10 years ago said: “The time has come for me to hand over the reins. Rachel has been crucial to Clarity’s growth story since joining five years ago, overseeing operations in Europe, managing the agency’s largest office in London, whilst supporting me as part of the global leadership team.

"I leave Clarity as a strong and vibrant agency, with an exceptional CEO and outstanding global executive team, delivering world class digital marketing and communications services to a stellar roster of clients”.

Gilley (pictured) joined Clarity as UK managing director in 2019 after 20 years with Bite Communications (now Archetype) where she rose to London MD. She was promoted to lead Clarity EMEA before taking on the role of global chief client officer in 2022. During that time, Clarity has developed into a global integrated agency with a footprint across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific and a team that has grown from 40 to 150.

Over the past 18 months Clarity has expanded its service offering through the acquisitions of public affairs firm Political Intelligence UK and strategic communications, crisis and reputation management consultancy Sefiani, based in Sydney.

As CEO, Gilley will be supported by a leadership team comprising Tom Telford (president digital marketing), Nick Lansman (president public affairs), Robyn Sefiani (president APAC and reputation counsel) and Will Julian-Vicary (head of technology).

Gilley told PRovoke Media: “I love this business and I’m blessed with an amazing team globally. Sami is a huge champion of the business and it’s a compliment to the team that he feels he can step aside and focus on other entrepreneurial passion projects.”

“It is a genuine privilege that he has handed over the reins so I can now work with this brilliant team. I joined the agency because I believed in Sami’s vision, which was to create a global agency that sat between the large, global networks and single market agencies. It’s thanks to Sami and the environment he created that has enabled us to hire the best people and realise that vision, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity, the support and his belief in me.”

She said 2023 had been a difficult year globally “but as an agency we’ve continued to deliver positive impact for our clients, winning business across multiple sectors and geographies.” Recent new clients include LastPass, Volvo Group, Glaukos, B Braun, Garrison, Etsy, Australian Mobile Telecommunication Association, Omada Identity and Vivup.

“With the stellar leadership team I have alongside me and a senior group of outstanding and highly experienced partners and presidents, we are recalibrating the business so we’re in the best possible position to seize new opportunities in 2024 and beyond,” said Gilley.

Clarity's chief operating officer, former Hotwire leader Alex McLaverty, left the agency in September last year.