New York, May 12, 2026 – Croud, the global media, data and creative agency, today announces the appointment of Valerie Davis as US CEO. A transformational leader with a proven track record of scaling agencies and driving growth, Valerie joins at a pivotal moment, as Croud doubles down on its US growth ambitions off the back of a strong start to the year.
Valerie brings exceptional experience to the role. Most recently serving as CEO, North America at Assembly Global, she tripled the Stagwell agency’s US revenue in just five years, overseeing a 650-person organization and presiding over landmark account wins including Anthem, T.Rowe Price and Brooks Running. Her ability to drive cultural cohesion alongside commercial growth earned her one of the industry’s most coveted honors: Adweek’s Media Executive of the Year for 2024.
At Croud, Valerie will accelerate strong growth, elevating the brand, sharpening the go-to-market proposition, and deepening its client offering across media, data and creative. Her appointment also brings closer integration with Born Social in the US, with Valerie set to work closely with the Born Social team to further strengthen the agencies’ powerful integrated media & creative offering.
Global CEO and Founder, Luke Smith commented: “Valerie brings the leadership we need to build on our strong growth and market position in the US. She combines deep experience scaling agencies with a genuine people-first mindset. We ran a thorough process to find the right leader to take Croud’s US business to the next level. Valerie stood out due to her wealth of experience across client, holdco and independent agencies, giving her a strong edge on what clients need from modern agency partners. We always look for leaders with the right cultural fit for our business, and she absolutely ticks that box. I’m excited to work together.”
With senior leadership experience spanning Assembly, IPG Mediabrands and Bloomingdale’s, where she led the launch of its eCommerce platform, she brings rare breadth across both agency and client environments.
Valerie Davis, US CEO added, “When Luke walked me through Croud’s journey, I saw a business at a clear inflection point, exactly where I thrive. The culture is strong, the thinking is sharp, and the commitment to clients is real. My focus is to build on that momentum and sharpen what makes Croud distinctive, both culturally and in the results we deliver for clients.”
Valerie’s appointment follows a string of US wins across Croud and Born Social, including ChapStick, Smirnoff, Ooni and Nikon, reflecting the strength of its integrated media, data and creative offering.
