'Make things simple and you will cut through': Zaid Al-Qassab to M&C Saatchi staff

M&C Saatchi incoming chief executive Zaid Al-Qassab has addressed an email to all the group's staff in which he asserts that creativity in all its forms is core to growth.

The internal email was sent to the advertising and marketing group's people yesterday afternoon (16 May) following its annual general meeting.

In the missive, Al-Qassab laid out some of his principles and values, how he is entirely behind the group's strategic direction and how M&C Saatchi will become the leading creative solutions partner to its clients.

The email talks of his belief in people and the need to be "trustworthy and caring", and how creativity in all its forms – "innovative, different, ingenious thinking and executional" – is what "drives our industry and grows our clients' businesses and organisations".

News of Al-Qassab's appointment as chief of the UK-listed agency group broke in February after much speculation as to who would succeed veteran Moray MacLennan.

MacLennan left at the end of September, and executive chair Zillah Byng-Thorne took temporary charge of the business and subsequently appointed headhunters to find a successor.

Al-Qassab, who officially takes the reins from Byng-Thorne on 1 June, thanked her, saying he was fully on board with the group's new strategic direction having spent "plenty of time on that with her since I was announced a few months back".

"So you shouldn't expect any sudden changes of direction," he reassured staff.

"As a quick recap, the new M&C Saatchi strategy outlines our purpose – which is to become the leading creative solutions partner to our global client base," he wrote.

"Our offer builds on M&C Saatchi's creative heritage, driven by our boldness and our willingness to always think – and be – different."

Simplicity and getting shit done

Al-Qassab made a case for simplicity being key to doing business – that life is "too complicated, for us, for clients, and for end customers", adding that "make things simple and you will cut through".

"This is why I love the M&C Saatchi founding philosophy of 'Brutal simplicity of thought'," he said.

He also believes in "getting s*** done", asserting that "serving customers brilliantly is the key to winning business".

Al-Qassab explained why he is an enthusiastic proponent of inclusion. "Everyone is at their best when they feel part of things," he said.

"Diversity of characteristics and of thought are the bedrock of happiness and success. Again, I love that diversity of thought is a core value at M&C Saatchi."

Change is the only constant

Al-Qassab also wrote of his background – not just his 20 years at Procter & Gamble ("a great school of marketing") or as CMO of Channel 4, where he and his team won a Cannes Lions Grand Prix – but about his personal life.

The married father of two is from Manchester (he's a Man United fan), he plays tennis most weeks and is a "mixed race British-Iraqi, the son of an immigrant, who's lived in four different countries, so I very much think of myself as a global citizen".

He ended the email noting that "change is the only constant in today's world.

"We might love it or hate it, but we can't fight it. Constant curiosity, experimentation, adaptation, innovation, risk-taking and just downright craziness are our secret weapons!"

Here's the full text of Al-Qassab's email:

Hello everyone,

It's my first day at M&C Saatchi so I wanted to drop you a note to say how proud and delighted I am to be leading the company.

I've admired your work for many years and feel very privileged to join you.

For the next few weeks, I'll be meeting as many people as I can, before Zillah formally hands over to me on 1st June.

As you know, Zillah will remain chair of the board, so we will not be losing the experience she has built during her time as executive chair.

I'd like to thank her for the incredible job she has done to set us on an exciting new strategic direction. I'm fully on board with that direction and have spent plenty of time on that with her since I was announced a few months back, so you shouldn't expect any sudden changes of direction.

As a quick recap, the new M&C Saatchi strategy outlines our purpose - which is to become the leading creative solutions partner to our global client base. Our offer builds on M&C Saatchi's creative heritage, driven by our boldness and our willingness to always think - and be - different.

We want to make it easier for our clients to grow by accessing the full breadth of our skills and capabilities so they can maximise the reach and potential of their brands.

We've got all the ingredients of a truly successful, world-leading creative solutions company – a powerful brand, leading specialist capabilities and highly talented people – and we need to ensure clients know what we are capable of and think of us when they need a partner that can help solve their business and organisational challenges.

I'm sure many of you will have already checked me out on LinkedIn, but for those who haven't...

My experience

I spent 20 years at Procter & Gamble which was a great school of marketing - eventually leading global, regional and local businesses.

I've worked as an executive in a tiny online start-up and a huge FTSE-100 company (British Telecom).

Most recently I've been the CMO at Channel 4, an award-winning UK broadcaster and streamer famous for shows like Derry Girls, Googlebox, Shameless, Peep Show, Top Boy, The Great British Bake Off and Black Mirror, and for its commitment to diversity.

Whilst I was at Channel 4 my team won the Cannes Lions Film Grand Prix, which was perhaps my best career moment...until now!

A little about me

None of that tells you much about me personally, so...

I am married with 2 kids who are currently off at university.

I'm passionate about live music, love going to the theatre, and really enjoy off-beat movies (if I tell you my favourite is Departures, about a Japanese cellist undertaker, you'll get the idea).

I'm from Manchester in the north of England, so I'm a Manchester United fan, but I go to matches at the lesser-known Brentford FC because it's in London nearer to where I now live. I also follow England international rugby union and cricket.

I've played tennis most weeks of my life since I was a teenager – I love it and it's part of how I keep my mental balance.

I'm a mixed race British-Iraqi, the son of an immigrant, who's lived in 4 different countries, so I very much think of myself as a global citizen.

My beliefs – what drives me

Over the years I've forged some strong beliefs about what matters in a business like ours, based on a combination of experience and my own values, so I thought I'd share
them with you:

I believe in people. I've always found people to be intelligent, hard-working, trustworthy and caring. So, I have always treated people that way, and found they can do miraculous things.

I believe in creativity. By creativity I mean all forms of innovative, different, ingenious thinking and executional craft. It's what drives our industry and grows our clients' businesses and organisations. Ideas are a particularly potent weapons of change, from consumer behaviour to social progress.

I believe in teamwork. Sure, we all have areas of expertise, but we are so much more together than we are individually. It's also more fun to work that way, and work should be fun, we spend too much time on it to allow otherwise.

I believe in simplicity. Life is too complicated, for us, for clients, and for end customers. Make things simple and you will cut through. This is why I love the M&C Saatchi founding philosophy of Brutal Simplicity of Thought.

I believe in getting s*** done. We could talk about things all day, but the magic happens when we do stuff.

I believe serving customers brilliantly is the key to winning in business. They might be our clients, or their end customers and consumers. If we do that well, we will always win in the end.

I believe in inclusion. Everyone is at their best when they feel part of things. Diversity of characteristics and of thought are the bedrock of happiness and success. Again, I love that diversity of thought is a core value at M&C Saatchi.

I believe change is the only constant in today's world. We might love it or hate it, but we can't fight it. Constant curiosity, experimentation, adaptation, innovation, risk-taking and just downright craziness are our secret weapons!

Over the coming weeks I'll find the time to explain these a little more, either when I get to meet you, or on Huddle. But it gives you a flavour of what I am about.

I look forward to meeting you in the months ahead. If you see me, please say hello and introduce yourself. I'm really excited to get started.

Zaid