James Townsend - CEO of Stagwell EMEA and Global CEO of Stagwell's Brand Performance Network (BXP)

James Townsend is currently CEO of Stagwell EMEA and Global CEO of Stagwell's Brand Performance Network (BXP). He assumed the EMEA role on January 1, 2024, after serving as Global CEO of Assembly and Brand Performance Network, and leads the company’s expansion across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

With more than 15 years in agency leadership, James previously drove digital growth as European CEO at 360i (under Dentsu Aegis) and spent five years as Managing Director at Fallon, working on global brands including Cadbury, Nokia, and Škoda.

At Stagwell, he’s spearheaded the integration of ForwardPMX into Assembly, scaled the Brand Performance Network, and opened a major London hub in late 2023 to support over 750 employees across 16 agency brands in the region.

Known for uniting best-in-class creative, media, analytics, and commerce capabilities, James continues to shape Stagwell’s challenger‑holding model—helping brands thrive in a complex global marketplace.