David Gaines

David Gaines has over 20 years of experience in the media industry. In 1998, they began their career as a Strategic Planning Director at Ammirati Puris Lintas. David then moved to Optimedia as a Strategic Planner in 1999 and MindShare as a Strategic Planning Director Asia Pacific in 2001. In 2005, they joined Maxus as CEO and Managing Director, where they grew the company to a top 10 network in 3 years and launched the Maxus global network and product. In 2014, they were appointed Chief Planning Officer, Americas at Maxus, where they led the architecture of the agency’s operating system on a global level, elevated communications planning rigor, and rebuilt the way Maxus extends into brand planning and content development. In 2017, they became Chief Strategy Officer at Wavemaker and in 2018, they were appointed Global Head of Media Strategy at WPP. In 2020, they moved to Mother to get the start up started and in 2021, they founded Media by Mother and became its CEO.

David Gaines has a diverse educational background. In 2018, they completed a Reimaging Strategy; Applying Design Thinking course at Harvard Business School Executive Education. From 1992 to 1994, they studied Communication and Media Studies at Martran Business College, Covent Garden UK. From 1988 to 1990, they studied Architecture at K College Kent UK. David also attended Huntleys School for Boys from 1980 to 1985. In addition, they hold four certifications from Google, including Advanced Google Analytics, Google Analytics for Beginners, Display & Video 360, and Google Ads Search Certification.