Former VMLY&R head of strategy Bryan Wilmot joins share market startup Stake as global head of marketing
Former VMLY&R head of strategy, Bryan Wilmot, has joined stock market trading start-up, Stake, as global head of marketing.
In a statement to Mumbrella, Wilmot said the move client side had inspired a “sense of genuine ownership over the brand” in him that was previously unfulfilled.
“There wasn’t something that pushing me out of agency to go client side specifically… However, I think what I’ve grown excited about since accepting the role, that potentially I’d been craving but was unfulfilled in agency, was a sense of genuine ownership over the brand and business,” Wilmot said.
“While great agencies are partners to their clients and have a voice in arenas that might stretch beyond just advertising and communications, ultimately they are still one step removed from the business. That’s the construction, they’re an agent. So now, being part of the team that’s making the decisions on everything – from CX to pricing models to comms to higher-level brand strategy – provides an opportunity for shaping and contribution that you don’t quite get as much as an agent to a client’s business.”
Wilmot has made the jump client side, joining start-up Stake
Wilmot said the appeal of the new role was the change in pace from agency life, and Stake’s business model.
“There’s a sort of mystique that surrounds the term ‘start-up’ but at the end of the day they’re just business like any other. So while the pace and process of working in a new-age business after having spent much time in big agency was certainly a contributing factor, what really appealed to me about Stake was that it wasn’t build on a novelty but rather a genuine consumer tension,” he said.
Stake was founded by Australians Matt Leibowitz and Dan Silver, and enables users to trade on the US share market with a mobile app.
Wilmot’s initial focus at Stake will be the expansion of the company to the UK, which already hosts several competing trading apps.
“This is a really exciting move as the UK is a big market and has the cultural disposition to adopt a brand and experience like ours,” Wilmot said.
“The space is also really heating up over there. UK-based Freetrade and Revolut are already live, albeit offering more entry-level trading experiences, and Robinhood out of the US have announced their intention to launch there as well. However, from our knowledge, we will be there before them making us the first international player to enter the market. We can’t wait and think it will be a fantastic move for the business.”
Leibowitz commented on Wilmot’s appointment: “We were so impressed with Bryan – as soon as we started chatting it made sense for Stake. We’re on a mission to change the way people around the world access and discuss financial markets and Bryan’s going to jump straight into making that happen. He understood the proposition, saw the bigger picture immediately and gave really thoughtful insights for redefining and executing Stake’s brand strategy on a global level. We’re literally counting down the days for him to start.”
Yeahhh Bryan!
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Good man Bryan. Best of luck!
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congratulations and good luck Bryan
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Great hire!
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