The Observatory International Reorganises as Stuart Pocock Steps Back

Pocock, who has been heavily involved with the re-organisation along with joint Founder Lucinda Peniston-Baines, will retain an advisory role on international network operations.

Christine Downton and Rob Foster who have been with the organisation for ten and 4 years’ respectively, will step up to Managing Partner roles in the London office alongside Peniston-Baines.

The moment also signals a shift for the Paris-based team who are forming EX4 – a marketing management consultancy augmented by technology. They will remain a strategic partner to The Observatory International network moving forward.

In 2023 the Company bolstered its operations in APAC with the opening of a new Singapore office alongside the existing Hong Kong practice. And the relationship with US partner, The Burnett Collective, remains unchanged.

Pocock stated “After twenty-five years working in this sector, initially with Agency Assessments and subsequently, creating the Observatory International, I feel it’s time to step back. It’s been a blast and every day I’ve learned something new from both client and agency perspectives. I’ll miss the day to day terribly, but I’ve seen a few people in this business hanging in there a bit too long – and I think I prefer to slide away before my sell-by date.  I look forward to remaining involved in the management and operations of our international network”.

Peniston-Baines said “Stuart is totally irreplaceable.  It’s been an honour to establish and grow The Observatory International with him over the last 16 years and we shall miss him in the day to day.  Thankfully he’s not going too far.  Christine and Rob have been highly influential in the direction of the business in the last years and now, as Managing Partners, they will bring continuity and a breadth of both client-side and agency-side perspective to the leadership of the London office”.