Stagwell Appoints New CEOs at Assembly to Drive Global Media Growth
New York, Monday, 14 September 2026.
Stagwell has named former Dentsu executive Liz Rutgersson as CEO of Assembly alongside Connie Chan as APAC CEO, positioning the media agency to accelerate its global expansion and modernise client capabilities.
Stagwell Appoints New CEOs at Assembly to Drive Global Media Growth
Global marketing network Stagwell Inc. (NASDAQ: STGW) announced significant executive leadership changes at its flagship media agency, Assembly, on September 14, 2026 [1][2]. The company appointed Liz Rutgersson as Chief Executive Officer of Assembly and elevated Connie Chan to CEO of Assembly APAC to drive the next phase of global expansion [1][2]. These appointments aim to accelerate operational growth across key international advertising markets as the industry navigates rapid technological shifts [2].
Executive Leadership Shift
Liz Rutgersson brings extensive experience to the role, having spent 16 years at dentsu, including the last three years as CEO of iProspect North America [1]. Connie Chan serves concurrently as Chief Growth Officer of Stagwell APAC and will now lead the region’s media agency operations [1]. Rutgersson stated her goal is to build an agency for the future, emphasizing agility coupled with the scale under the Stagwell umbrella [2].
Transition and Continuity
Rick Acampora, former Global CEO of Assembly, transitioned earlier in 2026 to a new role at Stagwell developing commercial frameworks [1]. Jill Kelly, former CEO of Assembly North America, is supporting the transition to ensure continuity during the leadership change [1]. Slavi Samardzija, Global Chair of Media & Commerce at Stagwell, noted that the new leaders have a proven track record of driving growth for advertisers [1].
Industry Context and Market Growth
The leadership change occurs as global ad revenue is forecast to reach $1.3 trillion by the end of 2026, representing an 11% increase year-over-year [3]. Based on this forecast, the prior year’s revenue can be calculated as 1.171 trillion [3]. Global ad revenue grew by 12.9% in the second quarter of 2026, indicating a robust environment for media agencies [3].
Strategic Outlook
Rutgersson emphasized that the best agencies help define what comes next rather than just responding to change [2]. The new leadership team intends to build around the needs of clients’ businesses, with client growth as the organizing principle [1]. Assembly operates globally with over 3,000 experts across 40+ offices, providing a foundation for this expanded strategy [1].