Management Team
Helen Calcraft, Chief Executive- Helen joined the advertising industry in 1989 as a trainee account manager at AMV BBDO, following a degree in Drama and Theatre Studies at London University. After 10 happy and successful years there and an MBA with distinction from the London Business School, she left to cofound MCBD. In 10 years, the agency has grown to become a top 25 UK advertising agency and has an enviable reputation for both creativity and effectiveness. Helen is a hands-on Chief Executive who loves working closely with her clients. She is a past President of WACL and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
Danny Brooke-Taylor, Creative Director- Danny was a stripper in Corfu until the night his arse caught fire. He is now the Creative Director of MCBD.
Andy Nairn, Executive Planning Director- Andy graduated from Edinburgh University in 1991 with a first class honours in Law and followed it up with an MSc in Marketing from Strathclyde University. He spent four years at AMV.BBDO, before moving to RKCR in 1997, where he was made Planning Partner, working on all the agency's key accounts, including Virgin (Atlantic and Cola), News International and Scottish Courage. In 2000, Andy jumped over the pond to become Planning Director at Goodby Silverstein and Partners in San Francisco, before returning to the UK in 2002 to become Planning Director at MCBD. He was made Executive Planning Director in 2009 and was the convener of the 2009 IPA Effectiveness Awards. Andy is the most individually awarded planner across adland and his quick incisive strategic thinking process has meant he takes a refreshing approach to integrated briefs.
David Bainbridge, Vice Chairman- David started his marketing career at BMP DDB Needham. He moved to Five in 1996 for its launch and subsequently rose up the ranks to become Deputy Marketing Director, helping build the channel's market share from 5.8% to 6.4% and driving turnover past £200m pa. In 2002, he left to set up Whoosh, a digital agency providing marketing solutions for broadcasters and brands, which was acquired by YooMedia PLC in 2004. Until early 2009, David was Director of Marketing, Communications, Audiences, Future Media and Technology at the BBC, responsible for launching BBC iPlayer and driving the take-up of digital TV and radio in the UK. He also sat on the board of Freeview and Digital UK.
Melissa Robertson, Managing Director- Melissa started her career in sales and marketing at a bakery in the Midlands, before swapping cakes for advertising in London. Her first agency was Grey, where she worked for five years on clients including SmithKline Beecham, Seagram whiskies and Mars confectionery and pet food. She joined the newly formed MCBD in 1999 as the only member of account management. Having worked across the majority of agency clients, Melissa has a wide spectrum of experience across most sectors. She was promoted to the board in 2001, to Head of Account Management in 2003 and to Managing Director in 2007.
Carl Ratcliff, Planning Director- Carl joined MCBD in 2009 from Five where he was Creative Director, bringing with him an immense knowledge of the broadcast industry. During his tenure, Ratcliff oversaw the award-winning refresh of the main Five brand - its first new look for six years. He also successfully relaunched FIVE USA, with a media first for the London Underground in the build of a live TV link between Oxford Circus and Times Square. Prior to Five, Carl worked as Emap's Head of Brand Strategy looking after the likes of Kiss and Magic FM; before then, he was a board account planner at TBWA, launching PlayStation 2, 3 and shoring up a host of booze brands including Absolut Vodka and Holsten Pils.
Michael Pring, Managing Director- Michael started out in advertising as a graduate trainee at DMB&B in 1995 on accounts including Masterfoods, Allied Domecq, Umbro, Hovis, Tetley and COI. He joined MCBD in 2001 and was promoted to the Board in 2002, New Business Director in 2003, Managing Director in 2007 and has also recently taken on a Group Development role working closely with MCBD's sister agencies in London including Elvis and Dare.
Nina Jasinski, Marketing Director- Nina read Economics at UCL and cut her teeth at the FT, before joining the advertising industry. Nina has helped promote and grow some of the most prestigious communication brands in the UK, including Gold Greenlees Trott, Rainy Kelly Campbell Roalfe and Partners Andrews Aldridge. She has spent an equal amount of time working in advertising as well as direct agencies so truly understands the issues of integration and convergence. In 2008, she joined MCBD, where she leads the agency's marketing strategy. She also heads up marketing across Cossette UK, which includes Dare, Elvis, Brando, Band & Brown and Identica. Nina sits on the IPA New Business Committee, is a Business Leader at the Marketing Society, and helps organise Gather and the rolling workshop programme for WACL.
Simon Ellse, Chief Financial Officer- Simon gained a law degree from Durham University before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young in 1984. He worked at Rothmans International as a Group Accountant before gaining 23 years experience in marketing service companies in various Finance Director roles. Simon has been Group Finance Director at CDP Europe, Finance Director within the AMV PLC Group and Group Finance Director at Partners BDDH. He has been MCBD's Finance Director since its foundation in 1999 and is Finance Director and Business Partner of Elvis, which he helped launch in 2003. Simon has recently been appointed as the Group Finance Director of the Cossette UK Group.
