Active Team

Ruth joined Active as UK, Managing Director in September 2025 and leads UK operations with a focus on strengthening digital partnerships, automation capabilities and future facing solutions.

Prior to Active Ruth’s career began over 20 years ago, with a significant part of her experience in major agencies like GroupM, Publicis and Dentsu. Most recently she was Sky Media’s investment director leading the UK sales team and driving revenue across the company’s advertising products.

Ruth enjoys spending time with family and friends and has enjoyed recently walking the Cotswold Way (102 miles!).

Kieron is our Chief Revenue Officer at Active UK. His primary responsibility is to ensure that our commercial strategy is aligned with our goals for growth. He is focused on delivering sustainable business solutions and partnerships for our clients, media, and agency partners while driving the adoption of data and technology alongside human insight and relationships.

Kieron believes that good business is only good if it leaves all parties eager to repeat the experience, so he strongly emphasises sustainability and integrity. He is passionate about challenging conventional norms in our industry and helping our clients and partners to embrace our philosophy.

When Kieron is not working, he enjoys watching rugby in his hometown of Dublin or spending time with his family in Epsom.

Wayne is our Finance Director and is responsible for the overall management and performance of the finance team. He views the world in numbers and loves spreadsheets.

A vengeful chess player and master tactician, Wayne always likes to be a few moves ahead and thinks about the end game: how best to unlock value for our clients.

Wayne once completed Candy Crush and remains in the global top 1% of the video game. He holds a degree in Economics and a Masters in Chinese Studies.

Jane Putley joined Active in early 2023 as Commercial Partnership Director, running the UK Agency team. Jane brings a wealth of media experience to Active, having worked across trading & partnerships for three major Media Owners. Her depth of experience includes Online and Offline media. Since joining Active, Jane has been fostering relationships with existing partners and seeking intentional growth through new partnerships across the everchanging media market.

When Jane isn’t at work, if she isn’t with her family, you will find her in Battersea Park running or playing tennis, preparing for Active’s next sporting challenge.

John looks after our Clients and the Client Relations team, he loves creating innovative solutions that either use stock to fund business costs or drive new customer acquisition. His job is to make the complex world of corporate trade simple to understand and develop ideas that deliver real tangible value for all our partners.

Dave is our Media Director responsible for delivering innovative commercial solutions for clients, agencies, and media partners. With over 15 years in media, Dave has been through it all—from TV spot planning for blockbuster entertainment brands to navigating the pixel-perfect world of digital media. With experience across verticals like Finance, Auto, and Entertainment, Dave has led high-performing teams, nurtured strong media owner relationships, and delivered strategic thinking that gets noticed (and results). When not immersed in the world of media, you will find Dave either lovingly looking after his children, at the darts oche or cheering on Arsenal.

Holly joined Active in 2016 and looks after our people. She empowers our team to thrive by driving people and culture practices founded on trust, support, inclusion, and fulfilment. Holly believes high-performing and passionate teams are born when people feel they can be themselves at work.

She is proud to work alongside our talented team, who have won multiple awards as the Best Small Workplace, Best Workplace for well-being, and Best Workplace for Women.

When Holly isn’t at work, she is usually chasing her three dogs or toddler around the house, planning family and friend adventures, or indulging in a crime drama.

Sitting in the International Division Team, Dom is our VP of Programmatic. As resident MarTech geek, Dom supports Active’s client, agency and media teams across 14 markets in managing the complex programmatic ecosystem. Previous projects span from making the Queen a gin & tonic, to numerous failed rock/indie bands. He now spends his spare time traveling, gigging, and making music.

Laura has worked in the Media industry for nearly 15 years and spent the first half of her career to the OOH sector, a medium close to her heart. Fortunately for us, she has dedicated the second half of her career to date to Active International.

As Head of Media, Laura passionately keeps up with the ever-evolving world of advertising and enjoys helping our clients to utilise Corporate Trade.

Although Laura is now a Mum to young daughter Isla, she can still be tempted into a glass of Sauvignon Blanc in the pub on a Friday!

Neesha has been living the Barter dream since 2012. Having worked in our offices on the other side of the world in Australia, she moved to the less sunny shores of UK in 2015. She has since learnt not to use the words “Thongs” (Flip Flops) & “Pants” (Trousers) in her conversations.

Neesha is Head of Agency Relations and when she is not building strong relationships internally & externally, she keeps busy with her other passions of travel & fitness.

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Nick joined Active Sydney in 2014 and transferred back to London in 2020. He has an established background across both agency and sales side in both markets, but really found his niche on joining the Active family. Nick is never happier than being on a plane – having ticked off 63 countries. He is a top 500 Padel player globally, and loves taking his paddle board along the coast in Dorset. He is a keen gardener and also has something of a penchant for patting all the dogs in his vicinity!

Alex has been working in media for 19 years, starting at ITV and initially joining the Active Media Team in 2012 from Dentsu. She hasn’t stopped spreading the word about the wondrous possibilities of Corporate Trade from all corners of the business, and today, Alex heads up our Client Relations and Operations teams.

Alex ensures our clients receive the best account management possible and keeps our partners up to date on everything new in the world of Active.

Alex is a proud mentor for Bloom, the professional network for women in communications, and Co-Chairs the Future Leaders Action group for the Alliance of Independent Agencies.

Outside work, you’ll most likely find her reading Harry Potter with her two sons, singing show tunes, or tap dancing!

Chris has been working in media for over 15 years, joining us as Broadcast and Media Manager in 2015. With a deep understanding of the media landscape, Chris specializes in digital supply and trading. He enjoys the breadth of clients, partners, and global colleagues he works with daily, plus continually learning about digital media formats.

A huge sports fan and a thrill seeker, Chris participated in Active’s skydive to raise money for Demelza, the charity delivering care and family support to children facing severe or life-limiting conditions.

Chris is a committed Arsenal fan and proud father to two young children.

Our Head of Agency Relations, Lisa, has deep experience working as a strategic planner on the agency and client sides of the media business. Lisa understands our agencies needs and challenges and is passionate about building strong, collaborative relationships. She relishes finding innovative and creative solutions.

A North London native, Lisa loves trying different foods – eating rather than cooking – and, fun fact, has an extra rib!

Justin joined the Media Team at Active with over six years of barter experience at agencies.

He believes that meeting with external stakeholders and building strong relationships is key to the success of the business and will always go the extra mile to ensure all parties benefit from working with Active.

When not engrossed in the barter world, he can often be found hacking around the golf course, or in the local pub giving his ‘expert’ opinion on all sports…

Dave Newton is our first Head of Agency Partnerships – North & Scotland. Dave is responsible for maximising opportunities within established and new agency partners outside of London.

Newton’s media career spans more than 20 years and has included roles with leading media owners and media agencies, allowing him a wealth of experience and a 360-degree view of the industry. He is also joint chair of NABs, the national media and advertising charity, in the North.

He is passionate about working as part of a team and collaborating with others for commercial success.

In his spare time Dave can be found coaching rugby league, mountaineering and enjoying cold water dips!

Stacey is one of our longest serving members of the Active UK office, with a fantastic memory for our historic barter deals. Stacey loves a process and isn’t afraid to suggest new ideas and mix things up, recently moving from the Media team to leading the new Operations team to improve efficiency company wide.

Stacey’s social life is now run by her two daughters, who are lots of fun but make her appreciate the escape to the fun sociable office of Active  

Kelly joined us in 2019 with a background in Travel and Events. As Business Services Manager, Kelly ensures we utilize the travel and goods & services inventory on our books and deliver best-in-class customer service to all our partners.
Kelly is such a fan of organization; not only does she enjoy creating spreadsheets for Active, but at home, Kelly likes to spoil her family with household spreadsheets and ensure everything’s ship shape from day to day.
Kelly loves Zumba, dog walks with her Golden Retriever, and spending time with her son.

As Active’s longest serving member Caren has worked across all mediums and has an in-depth knowledge of barter and works in the Media team.

Caren has a very specific morning routine… At 9am she enjoys her tea in her specially designated office cup and saucer. At 11am she rallies her colleagues into “Coffee Club”. After she has ingested enough caffeine Caren is ready to face the world of media.

Caren’s motto in life is whatever you want to do, do it now as there are only so many tomorrows.

Georgia started in our Media Team in 2015, initially tasked with helping to ensure smooth day-to-day running but has since progressed to work across the Broadcast & Digital mediums and, most recently, into Press & OOH in a Media Manager role. We have also deemed her the office Fire Warden, so she keeps us safe from the unruly toaster.

Ellie feels richest when she is in the know. Her curious nature is the reason she is well suited on the Client Relations team; learning about different industries, discussing business needs and how they impact the economy.

Ellie is well known for her adventurous taste of holidays, she loves a good read and binges on documentaries.

Perry is on our Media Team and is tasked with building relationships and trading Digital & Broadcast media plans for agencies with media owners. On the weekends he can usually be found with his head in his hands, watching his beloved West Ham United, or singing his heart out at a local Karaoke bar.

James entered the media industry from university, starting at ITV, and has deep commercial experience in TV and Digital. James joined the Active Client team in 2019, learning about clients’ needs and developing plans to meet them.

James loves to talk to brands of all sizes and explore collaboration opportunities; helping brands grow is his favourite part of the job.

His young son keeps him busy, but he enjoys cooking and boxing and hopes to visit Costa Rica for sun, sea, and surf.

Adrian set up and looks after Youniversity, Active’s learning and development platform accessible to every team member everywhere. As well as managing the system, Adrian works with people throughout the company to create the wide variety of resources to support everyone’s development goals.

Working at Active is his first role in media; previously, he has been utilized by a wide range of industries, including education, finance, and software development.

When he’s not working or travelling, Adrian can be found watching Bath Rugby, hiking, and collecting whiskey.

A human sponge for knowledge, David is an integral part of our Business Services team, always dreaming of new places to explore. When not busy administrating for the Business Services team, he can usually be found playing hockey or on a table in an après bar – Prost!

After 9 years at different TV sales houses Sophie has moved into the world of Corporate Trade, wher she will be looking after all things Broadcast and Digital. In her spare time you’ll find Sophie baking cakes and cookies or walking her two golden retrievers. Sophie loves to travel, ask her for any Italian travel tips she is the expert on her favourite country!

After working within the Media team for four years, Amy has moved into the newly created Operations team as our Ops Executive. As such, Amy works across our internal systems – she loves to help develop solutions and ensures smooth day-to-day running within the team.
Her strangest professional experience was when she worked at Barclay’s head office and was sent to the wrong department. She was in the kitchen being passed an apron and chef’s hat when she was supposed to be doing admin. Amy enjoys the cinema, running on a Saturday and the odd bottomless brunch.

Josh works in the Media team in the Senior Media Executive role. He helps clients and media owners achieve more using Corporate Trade (media barter). Josh joins us from ITV and has a solid knowledge of the TV media landscape. In his spare time, Josh can be found playing the drums in his band across venues in London.

Mark joined us in early 2024, following seven years in sales at ITV, which he joined straight from college. As Media Executive, his role focuses on client services and facilitating bookings, ensuring a smooth running of day-to-day functions in the team. He most enjoys meeting clients and interacting in person.
As well as playing golf in his free time, Mark went to an Italian school in Bologna in 2023 and now describes describes himself as an intermediate speaker, continuing to have weekly lessons.
Mark also loves travelling, with Japan topping his list of destinations to visit next.

Sam joined Active in September 2022. Sam brings customer service knowledge and event management experience to the team.

An avid shopper and traveler, Sam enjoys getting lost in duty free.  Often, you will find her booking holidays for others whilst getting inspiration for her own next destination . Sam has a taste for adventure and enjoyed Sky Diving on holiday. Her next goal to tick off the list is to travel solo.

Following a stint as a Marketing Assistant at a skincare company, Taylor came to us in 2022. As Coordinator of our Operations team, she ensures our systems are up to date with media bookings.

In her free time, Taylor likes to go to gigs or enjoy afternoon tea when she’s feeling more gracious. She can read Korean (slowly), yet doesn’t understand it!

Romy has been in her role since November 2022, which consists of briefing new client campaigns to media owners, booking campaigns on our internal systems, and resolving queries.

She loves the unpredictability of the business, learning something new every day, and achieving great things with the team.

Romy is an avid skier and concert goer, and her claim to fame is that she once served Queen Elizabeth II in a role at Fortnum & Mason.

After working for a Media Agency for three years, Chloe joined us on the Media Barter side. Chloe ensures a smooth day-to-day running on the Press and OOH team.

You will find Chloe feeding her shopping addiction or partying the night away on the weekends. Her ultimate travel bucket list would be to visit the Bahamas to swim with dolphins.

Emily is our Financial Controller and oversees the financial operations, ensuring accurate reporting while supporting the business with decision-making, forecasting, and budgeting. With a passion for process improvement, Emily revels in solving problems inside and outside of work and has a love for learning, having qualified as a Management Accountant in 2018. She is now on a tax qualification journey.

She is somewhat outdoorsy (except for camping – too many spiders), with her favourite UK escape being the Lake District and the amazing hikes it offers. Emily loves playing and watching Netball and plays in a local recreational league weekly.

Annie joined our finance team as a fresh-faced graduate in 2017 and has progressed to Management Accountant. Her duties include cost analysis, reconciliations and reporting, as well as looking after intercompany accounts and assisting with our Italian office’s month-end reporting processes.

Beyond the numbers, Annie enjoys adding a sweet note to our company culture via her passion for baking and surprising the team with treats.

Outside of work, she enjoys the tranquillity of yoga. Her dog, Woody, sometimes joins us in the office and is showered with cuddles.

Maryam Mahmood has worked in finance for ten years, starting out within the IT and PR sectors, before joining us in 2023. She manages our month-end accounting process, and her audit background ensures she is meticulous.

Maryam is a keen problem solver and team player. She is also a runner who loves good food, particularly pizza. Maryam loves the celebrated African American author, poet and civil activist Maya Angelou and turns to her quotes for wisdom.

Lucy Muswell has a passion for numbers which has led her to work in the world of Media Finance for over 14 years.

Lucy loves to travel and usually to somewhere hot! She loves Italian food and Italy would be her dream location to live (and eat).

With a weakness for Mulberry handbags, Lucy’s other pastimes include satisfying the shopaholic within!

Sabina is our European Finance Manager, where her role includes assisting with the finances of our Italian, Spanish and German offices.

She has previously held roles at Universal Music Group, Intu, NBC Universal and Vue.

In her spare time she is kept busy running around after her two mischievous boys, accompanying them to swimming lessons, piano lessons and endless children’s birthday parties.

Wasim has been at Active since November 2018 and has worked across both sides of our Finance Team while studying for his CIMA qualification. Wasim has a love for numbers and watching sports, particularly his beloved Liverpool FC. His office footie chat is so renowned a colleague once bought him gobstoppers.

Dhruti has been with Active since 2021, rising from Finance Assistant to Accounts Payable Exec in 2023. Her duties include paying invoices, expense management, external reconciliation, and resolving queries. Before joining us, Dhruti worked in an accounting firm but prefers the buzz of the media industry. Highly organized, Dhruti loves to work through a daily to-do list.

An early bird by nature, Dhruti can be found in the gym as early as 5 am. She enjoys scrolling social media for recipe content and is kept busy outside work by her large extended family – she has 22 cousins!

Elkie has worked in the media industry for nine years, following several years in music, heading up the marketing department at a record label.
Her role is to raise Active’s profile and ensure we are seen and heard. She enjoys working with people at all levels and finding new ways to share content.
Elkie is an avid bookworm and cinema-goer but, in her spare time, can usually be found on the side of a sports pitch or at a concert cheering on her children.

After living in Sydney for ten years, six of which were Client Services Manager at Active Australia, Lisa returned to her native UK in 2020. Her career path has been varied, including an early career in Media, PA to a Scottish entrepreneur and landowner, and managing a café in Sydney.

Lisa is naturally an organizer and loves spreadsheets and to-do lists.

When she’s not at work, she can be found walking her spirited dog on the Devon hills. Lisa loathes plastic, so she’s a frequent customer at her local refill shop.

Chris Bingham, affectionately known as Bingo, started at Active on a three-month contract to look after our IT needs and is still looking after us many years later! Bingo loves it when we have a problem with our iPhones (no, he doesn’t).
Chris loves a curry and a cold beer and can make a mean stir-fry.

Leena is new to the media industry, joining us from the motor sector and green economy.

As People and Culture Coordinator, she focuses on benefits and team support. She is collaborative and customer-focused and loves meeting new people, learning about different perspectives.

Her interests include reading, baking and she admires Anne Boleyn, one of the most intriguing figures in British history. Leena values routines for calmness and can perform a one-handed cartwheel!

Greta began her career as a finance assistant before transitioning to credit control. Although she has primarily worked in media, she also had a brief stint in recruitment finance. Greta is responsible for ensuring all invoices are paid on time and resolving any issues.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending her spare time at Pilates or baking. She is passionate about animals, has two cats called Loki and Lola, and plans to adopt many more in the future!

Adelino Marques joined us in 2025 and excels in reducing bad debt and managing accounts receivable tasks. He has a keen interest in brand deals and company collaborations, having previously worked as a financial analyst at an Insurtech.

Outside of work, Adelino enjoys road trips, track days, and the gym. Passionate about motorsports and music, he has a unique ‘talent’ for dislocating his left shoulder on demand; a skill from his taekwondo days!