Richard Eyre
Richard Eyre joined Next Fifteen Communications Group in May 2011 as non-executive Chairman of the Group as well as Chairman of the Nomination Committee. He is also Chairman of the Internet Advertising Bureau and the Eden Project. His appointment was instrumental in moving Next 15 further into the digital marketing arena.Richard has 35 years’ experience across the media and marketing industries, including time as Chairman of RDF Media plc, GCap plc; mobile games publisher Digital Bridges, mobile tech company, Rapid Mobile as well as CEO of ITV Network Ltd. He was also a director of the Guardian Media Group plc.
He sat on the Phillis Committee advising the DCMS in the run-up to the 2003 Communications Act and was a member of the Shott Review into Local TV for the DCMS in 2010. He contributed to Ofcom’s Public Service Broadcasting review; and advised Camelot on its successful re-application for the lottery franchise. In 2013 Richard was honoured with the Advertising Association’s Mackintosh Medal. The medal, for outstanding personal and public service to advertising, has been awarded only nine times since 1980.
Tim Dyson
Tim joined the Group in 1984 straight from Loughborough University and became its global CEO in 1992. As one of the early pioneers of tech PR, he has worked on major corporate and product campaigns with such companies as Cisco, Microsoft, IBM, Sun and Intel. Tim oversaw the flotation of the company on the London Stock Exchange and has managed a string of successful acquisitions by the Group in recent years including The OutCast Agency and Applied Communications in the US and Lexis in the UK.Tim moved from London to set up the Group’s first US business in 1995 in Seattle and is now based in Palo Alto. Outside Next 15, Tim is also on the advisory boards of a number of emerging technology companies. Tim was recently named an Emerging Power Player by PR Week US.
David Dewhurst
David Dewhurst graduated from the University of Birmingham in the UK in 1984 with a B.Com degree. He then joined KPMG Peat Marwick as a trainee accountant, qualifying in 1987. David worked as a corporate accountant and business analyst for Hillsdown Holdings plc between 1988 and 1990 and was then Group Accountant for Premier Brands Limited, one of Hillsdown’s subsidiaries.In 1992, David became Group Finance Director for Strong & Fisher Holdings plc before being appointed, in 1997, to the same post at The Media Business Group plc. He joined the Board as Finance Director in July 1999, to take the company through its flotation in December 1999. He was appointed Company Secretary on 7 September 2009.
Alicja Lesniak
Alicja Lesniak joined Next Fifteen Communications Group in July 2011 as non-executive director and Senior Independent Director. Her other current positions are: non-executive director, Chair of the Audit Committee and Pension Fund Trustee at Channel 4 Television Corporation; non-executive director and member of the Audit, Remuneration and Nominations Committees at SThree plc.
Alicja started her career as a Chartered Accountant at Arthur Andersen but rapidly moved into the financial, commercial and operational management of professional service businesses. Since 1987 she has worked in the marketing services sector with global companies such as WPP Group plc, J Walter Thompson Group Ltd, Ogilvy & Mather Inc, BBDO Worldwide Inc and Aegis Group plc. She has extensive experience of working internationally, including roles based in New York and Paris.
MARGIT WENNMACHERS
Margit joined Next Fifteen Communications Group in August 2011 as non-executive Director. She is a Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where she has created a top brand in venture capital in under two years managing Andreessen Horowitz’s overall brand and marketing strategy and advises portfolio entrepreneurs on their communications strategies. She also participates in the firm’s deal flow, evaluating entrepreneurs and potential investments.
Prior to Andreessen Horowitz, Margit co-founded and ran The OutCast Agency, an award-winning communications firm with offices in New York City and San Francisco. Under her leadership over 14 years, the firm grew from two employees to a multimillion dollar business. At OutCast, Margit oversaw client work as well as the firm’s business operations. OutCast’s most notable clients include Amazon, EMC, Facebook, Netflix, Salesforce.com, Yahoo!, and a host of venture-backed start-ups and venture capital firms.
Margit was born and raised in Germany. She has lived and worked in Germany, Spain and the U.S. She is fluent in English, German, Spanish, and French. Margit is a Trustee at the World Affairs Council.