PRESS RELEASE: THE STRATA GROUP APPOINTS MICHAEL WYRLEY-BIRCH AS PRESIDENT AND GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR

Strata, the award-winning brand experience agency group, has appointed Michael Wyrley-Birch as president and group managing director, Growth and Strategy, a newly created role designed to accelerate the group’s next phase of growth.

Wyrley-Birch, former CEO of Omnicom agencies TRO Group and Story House in Los Angeles, will join the Strata Group leadership team and take responsibility for shaping and embedding the group’s market proposition, growth strategy and client-facing culture. He will act as the mission holder for Strata’s go-to-market approach, ensuring it is clear and relevant to meet client needs across all brands in the group.

A strategic leader with a track record in building profitable businesses across multiple markets, Wyrley-Birch believes in the power of people, collaboration and innovation to unlock an organisation’s full potential. At TRO, he was instrumental in establishing the agency as a leading independent experience business in the UK before its sale to Omnicom Group. He then spent ten years scaling the business under Omnicom ownership, leading TRO’s evolution into a truly global business.

His experience within a large agency network, building successful collaborative teams, integrating businesses and growing clients internationally, along with deep sector expertise including automotive, will be a key asset as Strata continues to scale. He also brings significant experience helping organisations navigate change, from mergers and international expansion to service transformation and the adoption of AI.

In his new role, Wyrley-Birch will operate as a peer to Group CEO, Simon Hambley, and COO, Phil Staines. He will focus on the external-facing, growth-driving agenda, complementing Staines’ focus on strategy execution and operational delivery.

Michael Wyrley-Birch said: “I’ve followed Strata’s momentum closely and have been consistently impressed by the ambition of the Group and the calibre of its people. With clients demanding greater agility and sharper strategic thinking, Strata’s integrated capabilities enable us to create more impactful solutions. At a time of rapid change for brands, I’m excited to help deliver innovative and relevant solutions alongside Simon and the wider team.”

Simon Hambley, Group CEO of Strata, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Michael to the Strata Group leadership team. His record in scaling and integrating agencies globally speaks for itself, and his belief in the power of people, collaboration and innovation fits perfectly with our culture. Michael’s ability to build clear propositions, unite teams and help clients navigate complex change is exactly what we need for our next phase of growth, keeping our go-to-market strategy sharp and our client experience forward-thinking and commercial.”