The Up&Up Group make senior appointments as part of the agency's strategic objectives

At the start of February, The Up&Up Group appointed Deborah Whitlock (right) to the position of marketing director and Sharleen James (left) as the MD of Razor PR (Image by Bizcommunity, Lesley Svenson)

The two senior appointments come at a time when the Group’s integrated creative agency M&C Saatchi Abel is rapidly increasing its headcount, having onboarded more than 40 staff since signing MTN, the largest mobile network operator on the continent.

Attracting and retaining the best talent has also been identified as one of its strategic objectives, says The Up&Up Group, one of Africa’s largest independent groups of creative companies.

“Before the formation of The Up&Up Group, when we had just started M&C Saatchi Abel, we always said that people would be our greatest asset,” says The Up&Up Group CEO Jacques Burger.

“We believe in the saying The people with the best people win’. With the significant new business we have won across the Group, such as MTN, we have been able to invest heavily in attracting new talent,” he adds.

Exciting opportunity for marketing professionals

Whitlock says The Up&Up Group’s African orientation provides an exciting opportunity for marketing professionals.

“The Group’s Africa vision, where its various agencies serve some of the biggest brands on the continent, certainly attracted me to the business.
“I look forward to leading efforts to build a unified Group voice, one of clarity and precision,” she says.

Future-oriented vision for PR and communications

With the appointment of James at Razor PR, former MD and co-founder Dustin Chick takes on the role of chief executive.

James, formerly group MD at Accenture Song, says that she was attracted to Razor because of its future-oriented vision for PR and communications.

“My vision is very much aligned with Razor’s future orientation and The Up&Up Group’s focus on delivering world-class, impactful work by Africans for Africans.”

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World-class talent pool

Burger says that the appointments of Whitlock and James, in particular, who are two highly accomplished leaders, demonstrate the Group’s commitment to building a world-class talent pool and leadership team.

“However, it's crucial to focus just as hard on retaining talent as it is on attracting talent.

“The Group’s chief diversity officer, Makosha Maja-Rasethaba, who has been an integral part of the business for 13 years, was recently also appointed as M&C Saatchi Abel chief strategy officer.

“We view our investment in the best talent as critical to serving our growing roster of pan-African clients and delivering exceptional work.”

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Diverse specialised talent

Burger says the Group continues to focus on developing diverse, specialised talent across the various agencies, from strategy to creative, to media and more.

“The talent-first approach is a key tenet of the Group’s growth strategy as we continue to scale capabilities across the continent.”

Previously The M&C Saatchi Group South Africa, before a management buyout in 2024, the company comprises M&C Saatchi Abel, Connect, Levergy, Razor, Dalmatian and Black & White.

While fully locally owned, The Up&Up Group is the African affiliate of M&C Saatchi Group globally.