M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has promoted creative director, Conall McAteer, to the newly created role of executive creative director, UK.

McAteer will lead the agency’s UK creative output. The role will span existing client growth, new business and the continued development of its creative proposition. He will also work closely with the agency’s international teams as M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment continues to build a more connected global offering.

McAteer has already hired three new creatives, Solomon Bednall-Greaves, formerly of Dept; Hattie Abbott, most recently at Bulletproof; and Amy Ibukunoluwa Lewis, who has spent the last three years as a freelance creative and director. The trio represents a new generation of hybrid, culture-first creative talent being brought into the agency.

McAteer joined M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment from We Are Social in 2024, and has played a central role in some of the agency’s most prominent work, leading creative work for adidas across football, Originals, running and hybrid training, as well as playing a key role in the agency’s global Betway win and the development of the Clubhouse creative platform. 

Laura Coller, UK CEO and global chief operating officer, M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, stated, “Conall has made a huge impact on the agency since joining, both through the quality of his work and the creative culture he has built around him. Conall combines genuine cultural instinct with a clear understanding of what makes brands matter to people and has an infectious ambition for the work. His promotion recognises the impact he has already made as well as the important role he will play in driving the agency’s continued creative growth and ambition.”

Ross Watson, managing director, Sport UK, M+C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, added, “Conall has a brilliant ability to combine a deep understanding of sport and culture with big creative ambition. He knows what resonates with fans, what works for brands and, importantly, how to turn that into work that gets talked about. He’s already had a huge impact on our creative output and his promotion to ECD is an exciting step in where we are taking the agency creatively.”

Conall McAteer commented, “I’ve always thought creatives should be playmakers. In sport, the best teams don’t just need people who can execute; they need people who can see the opportunity and make something happen. Creativity is no different. I want to help us build an agency that thinks differently, brings new perspectives into our industry and makes work that pushes the boundaries of sport, culture and lifestyle. I’m excited to take that ambition even further as ECD.”

The promotion follows recent changes to the agency’s senior leadership team, with Laura Coller appointed global chief operating officer while continuing as UK CEO, and Ross Watson promoted to managing director, Sport UK.