Translation Appoints Jonathan Akuwue as President

Translation has announced the appointment of Jonathan Akwue as president. Jonathan, who joins from Publicis Groupe where he served as president and global media lead, will spearhead Translation's next phase of growth and innovation. 

As the company moves into 2025, it will sharpen its focus on its foundational strength: helping ambitious brands thrive in contemporary culture. This core capability will be the backbone of Translation's evolution into a creative solutions company, developing ideas that transcend traditional marketing to drive business results through cultural impact. One of the core focuses for Jonathan will be operationalizing and scaling the convergence of music and brands, as UnitedMasters’ access to millions of independent artists continues to be a core offering for Translation clients. 

“For 20 years, Translation has been at the forefront of connecting brands with culture in ways that move markets," said Steve Stoute, founder and CEO of Translation. “The combined power of UnitedMasters and Translation puts us in an unrivalled position to capitalise on where the music and advertising industries are headed. Jonathan’s joining as president signals our commitment to scaling what we do best - the convergence of culture, technology, and storytelling. His global experience and cultural intuition make him the right leader to take what we've built and amplify it to new heights."

Jonathan brings over 25 years of multi-disciplinary experience spanning illustration, design, digital strategy, data-driven marketing, and paid media. Prior to his role at Publicis Groupe, he served as CEO of Lost Boys, an award-winning creative agency, and as managing partner at Digitas UK. His extensive international experience includes managing regional and global agency operations across EMEA from London, and later establishing operations across Asia-Pacific and LATAM regions from Singapore. Most recently, he acted as global media lead for brands such as Samsung and Bank of America, which brought him to New York in 2022.

"This is a pivotal moment for Translation," said Jonathan. "As culture becomes increasingly fluid and dynamic, the opportunity to create work that resonates across boundaries has never been more exciting. I look forward to building on Translation’s legacy of innovation, leveraging my global experience to drive creative solutions that empower brands to connect authentically in a rapidly evolving cultural landscape."

Outside of his professional career, Jonathan is a lifelong Hip-Hop enthusiast, an author of a graphic novel and the founder of BLACK ARTFORMS, a platform dedicated to showcasing Black creative talent.

Jonathan joins Translation following recent creative launches including "the HEIST II,” the sequel to the 2023 campaign celebrating the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup, Playstation’s “Where Will Your Wins Take You?” for NBA2K, the Big 12's "What's Next" campaign, and our latest campaign for Ray-Ban Meta “Anderson’s Party” featuring Anderson .Paak, Tinashe, and James Blake.