I help organizations clarify who they are,
why they matter,
and how they connect.
I partner with leaders at moments of complexity or change. I immerse myself in the challenge and bring together the right teams to solve the right problems. My work is driven by the needs of the business and the people building it.
Selected Roles
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As EVP of Marketing & Growth, reporting to WPP’s Global Chief Marketing & Growth Officer, I led global creative, marketing, and growth initiatives across multiple regions and business units, aligning brand, culture, and commercial strategy to accelerate momentum, strengthen teams, and drive both organic and new business growth.
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While serving as EVP of Marketing & Growth at WPP, I was simultaneously embedded on the global Ford account, working directly with WPP’s Global Client Leader for Ford. In this role, I helped lead large-scale strategic and creative initiatives that aligned WPP’s global teams around a renewed sense of purpose and direction.
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As EVP, Executive Creative Director at Digitas, I worked across the entire global organization, breaking through silos and uniting teams around a shared identity and creative standard. I led the agency’s rebrand and repositioning (twice), built the brand design capability that continues to thrive today, and reshaped how the agency presented its work, culture, and ambition to the world. My work strengthened the agency from the inside out, elevating creative output and establishing a foundation for sustained growth.
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As SVP, Group Creative Director at Team Detroit, I led work for the agency’s anchor Ford account while also founding an internal creative group that functioned as an agency within the agency, helping drive new business and unlock new client opportunities. I launched Stereo 550, an in-house concert series that remained a defining part of the agency’s culture and recruitment strategy for nearly two decades.
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As Head of Design at Third Man Records, I led design across album packaging, posters, merchandise, and brand artifacts, creating distinctive, never-before-seen formats that pushed the boundaries of how music could be experienced. I collaborated directly with label owner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Jack White, helping build a cohesive visual world that fans connected with deeply. Since leaving Third Man, I have remained closely connected to the label, extending that creative relationship to this day.
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As Founder and CEO of Le Grand Magistery, I built and led an independent record label described by All Music Guide as “the finest underground pop label of the ’90s.” I supported artists at pivotal moments in their careers, helping launch creative voices that continue to resonate today. Music released on the label became staples of college radio, appeared across television and film, and was widely covered by the press.
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As an early-career creative, my work at The Pushpin Group, M&Co., Number 17, Cramer-Krasselt, and Bagby & Company shaped the foundation of my approach to design, advertising, storytelling, and creative problem-solving.
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“Matthew is a true unicorn in the advertising industry — a creative, strategist, and tech guru. He does the heavy lifting with grace and humility, and is invaluable in both corporate and client-facing roles.”
— Laird Stiefvater, COO Ogilvy
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“One part creative, one part strategist, one part emerging-platforms guru — all mixed with infectious enthusiasm. I wish there were a Matthew Jacobson at every place I worked.”
— Adam Rattner, CGO Havas Media
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“Matthew is one of the most energetic, creative, and inspiring people I’ve ever worked with. He’s great with clients and colleagues, brings in new business, and raises morale wherever he goes.”
— Toby Barlow, CEO Lafayette American
Let’s talk.
Open to conversations about executive leadership in brand, creative, and growth.