Toby Southgate has been appointed global chief executive of creative agency We are Social.

He was previously global chief executive at Forsman & Bodenfors, a role he left last October. He also held positions at McCann WorldGroup and WPP’s brand consulting unit, Brand Union.

The social agency said Southgate will manage the team of 1200 people across four continents.

Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free

Sign up here to get the latest agency-related news sent straight to your inbox each morning

Southgate said: “I’ve long admired We Are Social. It led the way by recognising the power of social and digital platforms for brands at scale and, as a result, it’s the only truly global agency in its space.

“We’ll be expanding our offering as the world’s most creative social agency, in partnership with what is undeniably a stellar roster of clients. The energy and appetite for growth and evolution with the network are really compelling. The role was very easy to accept.”

Southgate takes over from co-founder Nathan McDonald who stepped down in October after 16 years with the agency.

Brett Marchand, the chief executive of We Are Social’s parent Plus Company, Marchand said: “I believe that Toby’s experience in leading multinational agencies to growth, combined with an exceptional leadership team at We Are Social, will be the winning combination to unlock the agency’s full potential.

“Toby’s passion for creating a culture where people are a priority so they can thrive and do their best work was clear from the outset. He’s a first-class leader who will help steer We Are Social steadfastly into the next stage in its evolution.”