VML UK Names Cat Davis as Chief Marketing Officer to Drive Next Phase of Growth

VML has appointed Cat Davis as UK Chief Marketing Officer, strengthening its senior leadership team as the agency looks to accelerate its next phase of growth and expansion.

In her new role, Davis will report to Joe Petyan, Group CEO of VML UK, and will oversee growth strategy, reputation and marketing across the agency’s integrated capabilities, spanning advertising, social, commerce, customer experience and technology transformation.

Appointment Comes Amid Strong Momentum for VML

Davis joins VML at a significant moment for the agency following a strong period of creative and business momentum.

VML secured 10 Cannes Lions at this year’s festival, including a Grand Prix for “The KitKat Heist.” The agency has also been named Campaign’s Global Network of the Year, alongside expanding the output of its integrated agency model.

Her appointment is expected to help VML capitalise on this momentum and further strengthen its positioning in the UK market.

Over Two Decades of Agency Growth Experience

Davis brings more than 20 years of experience leading marketing and growth initiatives across the UK creative agency landscape.

Most recently, she served as Atomic London’s first Chief Marketing Officer, where she was responsible for supporting the agency’s growth and marketing ambitions.

Prior to Atomic London, Davis was Group Marketing Director at The MISSION Group, leading group-wide growth initiatives across 19 agencies covering the broader communications spectrum. During her tenure, she contributed to major account wins including Porsche, Post Office and Macmillan.

Earlier in her career, Davis held Chief Marketing Officer roles at Grey, Cheil, gyro, Carat and Fold7, building extensive expertise in agency growth, reputation, marketing and new business.

Active Voice in the Advertising Industry

Beyond her agency leadership roles, Davis has maintained an active presence within the advertising and marketing industry.

She currently sits on the Executive Committee of WACL and has been recognised as a Campaign A-Lister and a Creativepool Top 100 Influencer. She has also been an IPA & Campaign Women of Tomorrow finalist.

Davis previously served on the IPA’s New Business & Marketing Group and was a board member and former Chair of the MAA’s New Business Group.

Davis to Lead Growth and Reputation Strategy

As VML UK CMO, Davis will oversee the agency’s growth strategy, reputation and marketing across its full range of capabilities.

Commenting on her appointment, Davis said she was attracted to VML by its combination of creativity, technology expertise and people-focused approach.

“I’ve spent my career helping agencies grow, and what drew me to VML is the rare combination of world-class creativity, deep technology expertise and a genuine commitment to putting people at the heart of everything it does,” Davis said.

She added that VML is well positioned to connect brand, customer experience, commerce and transformation to deliver meaningful business growth for clients navigating significant changes across the industry.

Joe Petyan Welcomes Davis to VML UK

Welcoming Davis to the leadership team, Joe Petyan, Group CEO of VML UK, highlighted the agency’s combination of creative and technology capabilities.

“At VML UK, we’ve got world-class creative capabilities and an enterprise-grade technology offering, solidifying a differentiated fully integrated proposition for clients. Cat joins us now to scale all of that,” Petyan said.

He described Davis as a strategic and well-connected industry leader whose experience and energy will help drive the next phase of growth for both VML and its clients.

The Bottom Line

Cat Davis’ appointment as Chief Marketing Officer of VML UK adds an experienced agency growth leader to the company’s senior team at a time of significant creative momentum. With more than two decades of experience across Atomic London, The MISSION Group, Grey, Cheil, gyro, Carat and Fold7, Davis will now focus on strengthening VML UK’s growth, marketing and reputation across its integrated offering.