Former AKQA chief executive (CEO) Ajaz Ahmed, is launching a marketing agency six months after quitting the WPP-owned business.
Ahmed told British newspaper The Times that Studio.One will be a “direct rival to the slow, bureaucratic, large agencies, that have many layers.”
The former WPP exec hasn’t confirmed any clients for Studio.One. However, he said it would produce marketing campaigns and compete with agencies such as AKQA.
The business, set to launch on May 1, will also have investment and innovation arms, including a lab to develop and test new marketing tech.
There’s no information yet on the number of staffers who will be on Studio.One’s books, but Ahmed indicated that former AKQA employees would be recruited.
The indie shop will forgo an HR department and time sheets. Unlike WPP, it will also not enforce “any kind of return-to-office mandate,” the exec told The Times.
Private equity firm Atrum Capital is backing the new venture.
Ahmed had not responded to comment by press time.
From AKQA to Studio.One
Ahmed was at AKQA’s helm for three decades, having founded the company in 1994 at 21 years old before it was acquired by WPP in 2012.
In 2020, the business merged with sister agency Grey to form the AKQA Group.
In October 2024, his high-profile resignation was followed by 11 other senior departures, including managing partner Erik Rogstad.
When they left, the agency had 5,000 staff with clients including Coca-Cola and Netflix.
Former parent company WPP is facing its own challenges, including disappointing financial results. Following a tough 2024, the holding group’s revenue took another hit in Q1 2025, down 5% year-on-year.
Mark Read is betting on AI transformation and WPP’s media arm GroupM to help it bounce back.
