London, 27th April – Croud today announces that Ben Tyson, CEO of Born Social, their social-first creative agency, will be stepping down from his role and leaving the business in May. Part of Born Social’s founding team, Tyson has played a pivotal role in the agency’s growth and success over the past 14 years and was central to its acquisition by Croud in 2022.
Under Tyson’s leadership, Born Social has grown from £1.4m in revenue in 2017 to £19.5m in 2025, building a world-class global client roster that includes Guinness, Ford, Barclays, Smirnoff, and Nikon. The agency has earned multiple industry accolades, including Campaign Digital Innovation Agency of the Year, Gold (2023), and The Marketing Society’s Agency Team of the Year (2024), and has become one of the UK’s most respected social specialist agencies.
Tyson also led the agency through a management buyout in 2020 and its acquisition by Croud in 2022, remaining CEO throughout and playing a key role in integrating Born into Croud’s broader offering. He leaves the business to spend more time with his young family and take a career break. He will remain a close friend of the business, and Advisor to the Board.
“It has been an incredible 14 years” said Tyson. “We’ve always had a clear vision that Born should stand for creativity, collaboration, and pushing the boundaries of social-first storytelling. I can’t quite believe how far that vision has taken us. I’m so proud of everything the team has achieved and leave confident that the business, with its incredibly talented people and strong client base, is ready for what’s next. I want to thank Croud for their partnership over the years, and I’m looking forward to supporting their ongoing success as an Advisor.”
Born Social remains central to Croud’s long-term growth plans. Croud Founder and Global CEO Luke Smith will oversee the Born Social business, getting closer to its leadership, team and clients.
Working closely with and reporting into Smith, Born Social’s Managing Director Kate Higham and Chief Client Officer Abbey Mills will lead Born Social in the interim, with a focus on people and operations, and clients and growth respectively. They will continue to partner with the wider Born Social leadership team, including Chief Creative Officer Paddy Smith, Executive Finance Director Dan Jarrett, and Chief Strategy Officer Callum McCahon, to drive the business forward.
“Ben has built an extraordinary agency with a culture, reputation, and creative capability that is second to none,” said Smith. “I am continually impressed by the talent of the Born Social team. They remain central to Croud’s business, and we look forward to bringing the creative and media elements of our business even closer in service of our clients.
“With social-first creativity at the heart of our long-term growth strategy, there is real momentum behind us and enormous opportunity ahead to elevate our client work and accelerate growth together. I’m excited to get even closer to the Born business and to be working with Abbey, Kate and the rest of the leadership team to drive the business forward. I am delighted Ben will remain a friend. I want to thank him for his leadership, vision, and friendship and wish him every success in the future.”
This announcement comes off the back of recent wins for Born with Chapstick and Nikon in the US, and Stanley and Premier Inn in the UK.
