Akcelo opens London office to support EMEA growth

Akcelo has launched a London office as part of its international expansion strategy, strengthening its presence in Europe and supporting growing demand from regional and global clients. The move marks the agency’s first permanent base in the UK after previously servicing European accounts through its international network and regional teams.

The independent agency said the London operation will play a central role in its “Borderless” model, designed to connect global talent and capabilities across markets. Founded in Australia in 2020, Akcelo works across creativity, customer experience and technology for brands including TikTok, Amazon, PepsiCo and OpenAI.

London team to lead regional growth

The London office is based in Farringdon and will be led by Strategy Partner Ben Phillips, Business Lead Jade Fonteneau, and creative leads Mike Gethin and Justin Schoenmaker. The team will report to Global CEO Aden Hepburn, Global Executive Creative Director Louise McQuat and Global Client Partner Will Flood.

Ben Phillips joins from VCCP, where he worked on brands including Cadbury, Domino's and Barclays. His previous experience includes roles at Anomaly, Mekanism and R/GA.

Mike Gethin returns to Akcelo after a period at Xpedition and has also worked with Deutsch LA, The&Partnership and VaynerMedia. Justin Schoenmaker previously held roles at Xpedition, Pen&Pad and VML, while Jade Fonteneau’s background includes positions at Adam&Eve, VCCP, Specsavers’ in-house agency and production company Partizan.

Agency plans further hiring in London

Akcelo said it plans to expand the London team over the next 12 to 18 months, with plans to hire between 10 and 20 additional employees as the business develops new client relationships and broader regional responsibilities.

Aden Hepburn, Global CEO at Akcelo: “We've always landed ourselves where our clients need us most, so establishing Akcelo in London allows us to better support our client partners in the UK and across EMEA while tapping into an incredible pool of talent in one of the richest creative and commercial hubs in the world. We built Akcelo to be borderless by design, but having boots on the ground in London will elevate our global offering better to deliver the kind of ambitious, integrated, modern work our clients expect. It's a very exciting next step for us.”

The agency now operates across offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Vancouver, Los Angeles and London. Its client roster includes brands such as McDonald's, Spotify, Tinder, PlayStation and Netflix.

www.akcelo.com

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