(Pictured, left to right: Matt Holmes, Rob Lowe, Katie Raleigh and Rhania Farah)

Poem has announced a change to its senior leadership, with Matt Holmes selling his 50 percent stake to fellow Co-Founder, Rob Lowe, and exiting the business. The Independent creative PR and social agency was founded by Rob and Matt in June 2015.

Matt said he is proud of what he, Rob and the team have achieved: “I’ve worked at some of the best agencies in the world but will forever be thankful for the phone call I got from Rob eight years ago speculatively asking if I’d be interested in starting something a bit different. Even more so that we stuck our necks out and what we’ve achieved since. Not many people can say that. I’m so proud of the calibre of work and how we’ve consistently pushed to show how effective creative PR can be for brands and client marketing budget ROI. More than that though, I’m proud of the calibre of people who have come through the agency and the current team. They are special and it all comes from the genuine values Rob and I set out to achieve about being a ‘more human’ agency. I love seeing what the alumni are achieving and what the current team under Rob’s outstanding leadership will do next."

Rob added: “Matt and I are extremely proud of what we’ve achieved at Poem over the last eight years. We’ve created an exceptional team of brilliant Poets, done some fantastic work together and forged long-term relationships with some of the country's biggest marketers and brands. Matt goes with our love, respect and best wishes for the next chapter in his life and career.”

Managing Partner, Katie Raleigh, part of the leadership team alongside Rob and Business Director, Rhania Farah, said: “While seeing Matt leave feels incredibly sad, we’ve had some time to plan this with Matt and we’re extremely excited about Poem’s next iteration and will be using this change to shake things up further. Matt is not only a great leader in our industry, but a great friend and I will miss him dearly. Matt’s helped set us up for future success and his influence will be long lasting.”

Matt has been on an extended break from his day-to-day role for the past few months while also helping with the management and creative transition, and intends to spend time with his family before embarking on the next chapter of his working life next year. "I’m a PR and brand nerd and love the industry and the positive impact it can have. That’s not going to change. But after 20 years, I’m now lucky to be able to take a few more months off to focus on my own health, my young family and my Dad in the UK before some exciting new challenges in 2024.”