Northway, Ayre, and Panchal add senior depth across AI and data strategy, programmatic activation, and client leadership as Assembly scales in Europe
LONDON, UK / ACCESS Newswire / February 27, 2026 / Assembly enters 2026 with momentum and the leadership to match. The Stagwell media agency appoints James Northway as EVP, Global Head of AI and Data Strategy; David Ayre as Europe Head of Programmatic; and Bav Panchal as Europe Managing Partner, strengthening its bench across decision intelligence, activation, and client leadership.
Assembly is building on its momentum in the region, following the recent Jabra win and the appointment of Bridget Hopkins as CEO of Europe. These strategic hires accelerate Assembly's expansion across Europe as clients push for integrated brand performance solutions that connect data, technology, media, and commerce to drive measurable growth. Assembly is meeting that demand through continued investment in its STAGE AI Experience Engine and Brand Performance Planning strategic product.
Collectively, the hires enhance Assembly's ability to build and scale omnichannel experiences that drive business outcomes. Northway spearheads the evolution of the agency's AI and data strategy, advancing how insight informs experience design and investment decisions. Ayre expands programmatic performance across European markets, scaling AI-enabled activation and marketplace strategy. Panchal strengthens client leadership across the region.
"Europe is a priority growth region for Assembly," said Bridget Hopkins, Europe CEO. "We are seeing strong demand from clients who want more connected, performance-driven marketing models. These appointments ensure we have the leadership depth to scale our offering and deliver growth with greater consistency across the region."
Northway joins from Wavemaker, where he served as Global Head of Data Strategy; Ayre joins from Dentsu, where he held senior programmatic leadership roles; and Panchal brings a wealth of international agency experience from senior positions at WPP Media.
For Global CEO Rick Acampora, the hires represent continued investment in the agency's operating model.
"This is about how we scale what makes Assembly different," he said. "We are aligning leadership to the capabilities that power brand performance across data, activation, and client leadership. That depth allows us to operate faster, connect our disciplines more effectively, and deliver stronger outcomes for clients."
ABOUT ASSEMBLY
Assembly is a global omnichannel agency built for brands that want a more modern approach to building brands that perform. Backed by the Stagwell network, we are a literal assembly of data, talent, and technology built to unlock smarter, faster, and better-performing outcomes from the bottom up -not the top down. Curious, collaborative, and driven by change, we are an agency of builders who believe the better the experience, the better the performance. We don't see brand and performance as an either/or. For us, it's always both. The +\ symbol in our logo, known as the ORAD, represents this mindset. It's a mark of how we think, how we build, and how we deliver results across the full funnel. Assembly's foundation is built on three core elements: our purpose-built STAGE Experience Engine, the strategic product it powers-Brand Performance Planning (BPP) - and an organizational design built for speed, depth, and the demands of modern marketing. Together, they enable us to build better brand experiences that reimagine how brands connect, engage, and grow across data, tech, media, creative and commerce. With over 3,000 experts in 44 offices worldwide, Assembly delivers full-funnel solutions that help the world's most ambitious brands perform. Learn more at assemblyglobal.com.
MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT
Bria Bryant
bria.bryant@assemblyglobal.com
SOURCE: Assembly
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/assembly-hires-three-industry-leaders-in-europe-to-accelerate-gr-1141901
