Kinetic Worldwide announces global promotion and restructuring

Kinetic is delighted to announce the appointment of Steve Ridley to the role of Global Chief Operating Officer.

Ridley, currently Chief Executive Officer for the Americas, has been instrumental in building the Kinetic offering in the United States to its current market leading position with 6 offices and billings in excess of $1.3 billion. One example of this success is Kinetic US’s recent appointment as out-of-home AOR (agency of record) for MillerCoors – the largest direct appointment of a dedicated out-of-home specialist in the world.

Ridley will assume the new role with immediate effect, remaining based in the United States to give a wider global emphasis to the management of Kinetic and broaden the resource from its traditional UK headquarters.

Kinetic, founded in 2005 and led by Global Chief Executive Eric Newnham, has established itself as the market leader in the Out of Home media sector across the world. With an extensive global network spanning 27 countries and billings totaling $4 billion, Kinetic is the preeminent force in the planning and execution of Lifestyle & Environmental Media.

David Payne, currently Chief Executive of Kinetic EMEA, will be transferring to the United States to take on the role of Chief Executive for the Americas. David has been instrumental in the rapid development of the Kinetic European office network and this experience will be key to cementing the company’s market leadership in the United States and further developing offerings across the region.

Eric Newnham will temporarily assume the role of Chief Executive of EMEA along with his Global Chief Executive role, and a new EMEA Chief Executive will be announced shortly.

Eric Newnham commented: “So much has been achieved over the past four years; it is time for Kinetic to capitalise on all that hard work. The position we have developed across the world is unprecedented and I am delighted that Steve will be joining me to help develop the business even further.”

Steve Ridley said: “It is time to build on Kinetic’s success and put even more emphasis on ensuring that our global offering is both coordinated and fully equipped to handle the exciting challenges ahead. Kinetic sits in a unique position as the only company in the world dedicated to Lifestyle and Environmental Media.”

David Payne commented: “Developing Kinetic’s European operations has been an exciting and highly rewarding challenge, and I am proud to have built such a strong, dynamic network. However, the opportunity to put that experience into play on a canvas as broad as North America was too good to miss.”

Rupert Day, Global Chief Operating Officer, GroupM said: “Kinetic has carved a new position in the media world as it offers a proprietary, lifestyle-centric perspective on how to connect with consumers. This unique approach coupled with unrivalled global reach adds tangible value for both agencies and clients alike.”

About Kinetic
Kinetic is the leading Out Of Home media agency that understands how to communicate with people on the move. Kinetic plans and buy all forms of media when your target audience is out of home. Kinetic, led by global CEO Eric Newnham, is 50% owned by the Kinetic management team and 50% owned by WPP. Kinetic delivers wide-ranging specialist expertise through its complementary service divisions including Aviator, Joule, Kinetic People, Kinetic Intelligence, Destination Media Group, ALCANCE, Zone and Hi Resolution. Kinetic employs over 900 professionals across 42 offices including the UK and US. The agency has global billings of US$4.4 billion.