Meta promotes Ian Edwards to UK head of agencies

Meta is promoting Ian Edwards to UK head of agencies after eight years at the tech platform.

Under a dual role, Edwards will continue his current job as head of connection planning for EMEA.

The head of agencies role was previously held by Nick Baughan for five years under the title director of business partners for the UK and Ireland. Baughan took the role of global head of agencies in November. 

Edwards told Campaign his new role, which begins on 1 April, was about bringing planning and agency teams together to provide more value to agencies and their advertising on the platform.

He will lead a team including heads of industry Emma Mathews, Rob Smallwood and Richard Costa-D’sa, and head of trading and investment Nick Pestell.

Edwards will continue to report to Derya Matras, vice president of UK Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Edwards has 14 years’ experience at UK media agencies. The job will add to his current role where he directs the connections planning team, helping advertisers connect with consumers via Meta's platforms. He was the first communications planner at Meta globally.

“Agencies are at the heart of understanding how consumers and brands connect,” Edwards said.

“This is a fascinating time with AI and its impact on media, creative, messaging services and customer loyalty. We are in a period of transformation.”

Before Meta, Edwards’ agency experience included head of strategy roles at Vizeum and MEC (previously Mediaedge:cia), and comms planner roles at MediaCom and Carat.

He is also Media Trust’s vice chair on the board of trustees.