Published on: September 16, 2026
Stagwell has appointed Liz Rutgersson as the global CEO of Assembly, with Connie Chan taking on the role of CEO, Assembly APAC, effective September 14.
Rutgersson will oversee Assembly’s global operations as well as its North American business, reporting to Slavi Samardzija, Global Chair of Media and Commerce at Stagwell. Chan will take charge of Assembly’s APAC operations while retaining her existing position as Chief Growth Officer, Stagwell APAC.
Rutgersson joins Assembly following a 16-year career at dentsu, most recently serving as CEO of iProspect North America for three years. With more than two decades of experience spanning brand building, strategy, digital media, analytics and search optimisation, she has worked with brands such as Hilton, eBay, Salesforce, Ferrero, Dollar General and Tesco.
As Assembly’s global CEO, Rutgersson will be responsible for advancing the agency’s growth, deepening client relationships and guiding the business through its next stage of development.
“I’ve spent my career believing that the best agencies don’t just respond to change, they help define what comes next,” Rutgersson said.
She added that Assembly has “incredible talent, global scale and connected capabilities”, and that she plans to build around clients’ business needs, with performance and client growth as key measures.
In APAC, Chan will combine her new Assembly responsibilities with her leadership role at Stagwell. She brings three decades of experience across media, marketing and business leadership and has played a role in expanding Stagwell’s footprint across major APAC markets since becoming Chief Growth Officer.
One of Chan’s priorities will be helping clients respond to the rapid evolution of marketing, particularly as artificial intelligence and technology reshape business models and operations.
“As I step into this role, a key priority is helping clients navigate the rapid transformation of marketing. AI and technology are creating new opportunities for scale and efficiency, but competitive advantage will come from how organisations combine those capabilities with human creativity and strategic thinking,” Chan said.
“The future belongs to businesses that use technology to amplify great ideas, not replace them,” she added.
During her tenure at Stagwell, Chan has focused on new business development, strengthening regional client relationships and expanding the network’s media and digital experience capabilities.
Commenting on the leadership changes, Samardzija said, “Rutgersson and Chan are exceptional leaders with a proven track record of driving growth for advertisers, building high-performing teams and helping clients succeed in a rapidly changing media ecosystem,”
He added that the appointments strengthen Assembly’s leadership and align with Stagwell’s goal of developing a modern, agile agency model centred on business outcomes.
Rutgersson succeeds Rick Acampora, who previously served as Assembly’s global CEO before moving earlier this year into a holding company position focused on developing new commercial frameworks. Jill Kelly, former CEO of Assembly North America, will assist with the leadership transition.
The appointments come as Stagwell continues to develop its global and APAC media operations. Recent initiatives include the launch of The Media Machine and Stagwell Search+, the opening of a new APAC headquarters in Singapore, and the expansion of regional capabilities through the integration of Assembly and ADK GLOBAL.
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