Over the past 15 years, SearchStar has grown from a one-man PPC band into a flourishing 60-person agency boasting capabilities across the entire digital advertising spectrum. And in pursuit of our next chapter of growth, we're tremendously excited to announce two significant changes to our senior management team.
Founder Dan Fallon will be handing over the reins of SearchStar to the hugely experienced agency leader Jon Greenhalgh who will be taking up the position of managing director effective immediately. Dan will remain in the business as joint MD until December 31st to ensure the smoothest of transitions. You can read Dan's own thoughts on the transition and the importance of endings in his recent LinkedIn Pulse update...
Jon brings with him 13 years of agency experience, having spent 8 years at Dentsu Aegis working at iProspect, Vizeum and Carat, followed by work within independent agencies, including the senior team that led Branded3 (now Kin + Carta) from where he joins.
Speaking about his appointment, Jon said...
“It's hugely exciting on a personal level to get the opportunity to work with the team here. Clearly a very talented group of digital marketers, the foundations the agency has are superb. It's going to be an exciting time which will allow us to focus on the future.
“As well as having an exciting future ahead of us for how we service UK based clients, we are also in the envious position of having Welocalize, an extremely impressive, international localisation business, behind us. I believe that with our parent company's support, we find ourselves in a unique position for digital agencies when clients are looking to take their products and services internationally.
“I've no doubt we have a substantial opportunity to be a very strong competitor of our industry's biggest and brightest agencies.”
As part of the changes, Dan Fallon, who founded SearchStar in 2005, will step down from the business as of 1st January 2021. And while he’ll no longer be a formal employee of SearchStar or Welocalize, Dan will remain a friend of the business, offering his help and expertise where required.
Dan said...
“I’m hugely excited that Jon is joining SearchStar and Welocalize to oversee the next exciting stage of growth. We have, over the past 15 years, built a dynamic and successful business with a superb reputation and I’m extremely confident that Jon will be instrumental in driving SearchStar to the next stage of that journey.
“I’ve known Jon for over 5 years and have for several years wanted to bring him into the business. He’s an enormously experienced, clever and energetic agency marketer who I’m certain will deliver the growth opportunities that our staff, clients and partners all deserve.”
Joining alongside Jon is Melanie Hyde as Client Services Director. Previously Head of Paid Media at Kin + Carta, Melanie will work alongside existing Client Services Director, Emma Chun, to coordinate our service delivery and ensure we continue to deliver delight to all our clients in the long term.
