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Modern Citizens strengthens leadership with new Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Partner

Ahead of its launch in mid-October, Modern Citizens today announces the additions of Tom White, Chief Strategy Officer, and Pumie Msengana, Managing Partner, to the senior leadership team.

Tom previously worked as CSO at AMVBBDO, where he contributed to the winning of the Cannes Effectiveness Grand Prix, IPA Golds & the WARC Grand Prix for Social Strategy across brands including Walkers, PepsiCo, the Metropolitan Police and Guinness.

Tom will lead the strategy team, building on Modern Citizens’ capabilities and helping drive the agency forward. He will be responsible for evolving the agency’s long-term strategic approach, ensuring that Modern Citizens continues to deliver the most effective and impactful work for its clients. He will report into CEO, Matthew Robinson.

Tom replaces current CSO, Andrew Gibson, who after 10 years with Creature London, one of the former companies to make up Modern Citizens, is stepping down to take extended parental leave.

In his 10 years at Creature, Gibson has won multiple accounts, awards, founded White Crow – Creature’s strategic consultancy arm, and helped build the agency ahead of acquisition by the Candid Platform two years ago. More recently, he has been an important player in the cross-discipline team developing the Modern Citizens brand and has spent time working closely with White as part of their handover.

Pumie Msengana brings with her over 20 years’ experience in developing teams, agency partners and clients.

Since moving to the UK from South Africa in 2011, Pumie had stints at agencies including M&C Saatchi, WCRS and most recently Ogilvy, where she was for seven years, holding positions including Global Business Director and Global Client Partner.

Pumie has led local and global brands including Philadelphia, Dove, Vodafone and Santander. She also works with several pro bono clients, including Girl Up, UK Black Pride and World Afro Day.

Speaking on his appointment Tom White said: It took very little convincing to join the Modern Citizens team. They’re a talented and switched-on collective of thinkers, builders and doers now brought together under a single agency proposition that I reckon puts us exactly where today’s clients need us most. There’s already a terrific pedigree of effective and eye-catching work across each of the agency’s capabilities, but what comes through loud and clear from everyone here is the ambition to raise that ceiling higher still. I look forward to playing my part in helping Modern Citizens to do just that.

Matthew Robinson, CEO of Modern Citizens, said: ““We are thrilled to welcome Tom to the team. He has an outstanding track record of creating effective and award winning work across some of the biggest brands in the world, this will be invaluable as we continue to push boundaries and deliver exceptional results for our clients. I couldn’t be more excited to see what he’s going to achieve with the multi-talented crew we have at Modern Citizens.”

 “We want to thank Andrew for everything he has done for this place. Andrew has been an integral part of our journey for over a decade, both with the work and the culture, and I speak for the whole team when I say he will be missed. We wish him all the best for the future, in particular with his new arrival!

“Pumie brings a wealth of experience and a successful track record with over 20 years’ of working with leading integrated teams across great brands, so we are incredibly excited to welcome her to the Modern Citizens team.”

Speaking on his departure Andrew Gibson said: “It’s fair to say Creature and I have grown up together. I’m grateful to the founders for taking a chance on a wildly underprepared 28-year-old, proud to have been at the forefront of Creature’s evolution and acquisition ever since, and pleased to have been a big part of the development of its next phase. However, I felt it was time for an evolution of my own. But first, I’m excited to focus on my own little creature with an elongated paternity leave."

Speaking on her appointment, Pumie Msengana said: " The way Modern Citizens bring together three unique power houses, under one innovative roof was a huge appeal to me and I was excited about the way they approach answering brand challenges in a truly unique and considered manner.

Thrilled to be part of the team, helping shape the agency’s future, working with such an incredibly smart and dedicated team who not only create great work but are driven by bringing about a positive change in the industry.”