Ajaz Ahmed, founding CEO of WPP-owned agency AKQA is setting up a rival, Studio One.
Ahmed, who founded AKQA 30 years ago, resigned last October to be followed by a number of other senior AKQA executives. At the time there were differences between Ahmed and co. and WPP CEO Mark Read over the direction of the company which had been merged with Grey in one of a series of inter-agency WPP mergers.
Studio One is backed by private equity and promises to be different to “multi-layered” agencies (like WPP) and dispense with an HR department, which may reflect Ahmed’s view of his period in gardening leave. Now he’s free of that expect a series of announcements regarding new Studio One clients. Ahmed’s AKQA was famed for its longstanding client relationships which included Nike.
