Karl Marsden has joined Department of Creative Affairs as chair and investor following the company’s successful seed round.
Marsden has been advising DCA’s founder and CEO, Amar Chohan, from the earliest stages of the business. But he now formally joins as chair, leading the board and working with the team as DCA scales its platform and expands internationally.
The appointment reunites Marsden and Chohan, who worked together for six years at Contagious, where Marsden served as CEO and later as chair.
DCA is building a new way for marketers to navigate an increasingly complex marketing landscape. It’s ambition is to become the world’s most trusted resource for marketers to make sense of what’s changing and find the right partners to act on it.
At the heart of DCA is a platform mapping the independent agency landscape, combining detailed agency profiles and verification with search, matching and advisory services designed to help marketers find the right fit for their needs.
Karl Marsden, chair of DCA, said:
‘The independent agency market has never been more capable, but it remains unnecessarily difficult for marketers to navigate. Thousands of brilliant businesses sit outside the relatively small group of names that routinely make it onto shortlists.
‘DCA has an opportunity to change that by making the market more visible, credible and accessible to brands. I’ve been close to the business since before launch and have seen the response first-hand. I’m delighted to be backing Amar and the team as both chair and investor as DCA moves into its next stage of growth.’
Funding from the seed round will be used to scale DCA’s platform, grow the team and expand into new markets, including North America.
Amar Chohan, founder and CEO of DCA, said:
‘Karl was one of the very first people I spoke to about DCA when it was still just an idea, and he’s been a supporter, adviser and confidant ever since.
“We worked together closely for six years at Contagious, so I know first-hand the commercial experience and judgement he brings. We have big ambitions for DCA and I’m over the moon to be partnering with him again as we build the next stage of the company.’
Marsden has held leadership roles at IPC and News UK and was part of the founding team at Shortlist Media, where he served as COO through to the company’s sale. He later became CEO and chair of Contagious, leading the business through its acquisition by Ascential. Marsden is also chair of luxury interior design studio Albion Nord.
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