James Appleby

James Appleby, through his 22-year career in the industry, has been on a dynamic trajectory. Starting as a TV buyer, his curiosity and drive for growth propelled him into client service, where he successfully led multiple businesses across multiple sectors. In September 2023, he joined Assembly as Managing Partner, swiftly to elevated Managing Director, UK after just four months. Before that, Appleby spent nearly five years as Managing Partner at PHD UK, leading all aspects of media planning and buying for clients like Sainsbury's, Nectar, Comparethemarket.com, Oatly, McVitie's, Peroni, and the UK Government. His passion for driving positive change in the industry led him to chair NABS’s flagship Fast Forward program, mentoring rising industry stars and developing future talent.