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Former Grey London creative chairman Adrian Rossi and ex-Domino’s chief marketer Emily Somers have joined a start-up independent network called The Constellation Collective.

Rossi will be creative partner, while Somers will serve as client and marketing partner of the network. 

The start-up has also hired David Pugh-Jones, who previously worked at Microsoft and BuzzFeed, as brand and strategy partner. 

The trio will work alongside founder and managing partner Simon Thurston, whose former agency experience includes running the Dubai Tourism project at Impact BBDO, and finance partner Richard Adams. 

The Constellation Collective launched on 1 September and describes itself as “a micro-network of independent digitalists, innovators, creators, technologists and strategists”. The start-up offers digital, tech, data, marketing and communications, creative production and media services to national and international clients.

Collective members can also receive financial strategy, management, succession and exit planning support.

In November, Rossi left Grey after less than a year as creative chairman. He was previously joint executive creative director at Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.

Somers was previously the UK chief marketing officer of Domino’s for seven months and  also spent three years at McDonald’s as vice-president of marketing and food development before leaving in 2018.

Somers said: “This new world we find ourselves in presents more challenges to the advertising industry than we have ever seen before. Agencies, especially smaller, independent ones, can't continue to do what they've always done and expect the same returns. A new approach is needed.”