James Connelly, founder of mobile marketing agency Fetch, owned by Dentsu Aegis Network, has stepped down.
Connelly founded the business when he was 23 almost 10 years ago. It was acquired by DAN in 2014 in a deal reported to be worth around £30m.
The buyout helped Fetch expand to Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo. Its clients include Facebook, Expedia, Telegraph Media Group and WhatsApp.
In 2018 Connelly became chief strategic development officer for DAN, with a remit to focus on the network’s mergers and acquisitions. In the same year Patrick Affleck was named chief executive of Fetch after managing director Jo Sutherland became Carat’s UK chief executive.
Connelly explained that he would be taking a year out for the gap year he "never quite got around to".
He wrote: "There is something brilliant about starting a business at 23. For all the experience that you may lack at that age, the blissful ignorance and fearlessness of youth gives a confidence that any entrepreneur knowingly needs, like a rocket needing fuel. You have to believe."
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