Powering the New Media Engine

When Celine Saturnino became CEO of what was then Total Media in 2020, she was already playing a central role in the agency’s evolution—from leading its digital and commercial transformation to helping embed a more strategic, inclusive culture. That evolution reached a new milestone in early 2025, when Total Media Group was formally rebranded as Mediaplus UK following its acquisition by the Serviceplan Group’s media arm, Mediaplus, the previous year.

The rebrand marks the full integration of the UK agency into the international Serviceplan network. Saturnino, now CEO of Mediaplus UK, reports into Tom Laranjo—former CEO of Total Media Group and now group CEO of Mediaplus UK—and continues to work closely with the global Mediaplus team to shape the UK offer.

Saturnino cut her teeth at digital agency i-level and had led both global and UK accounts at MPG (now Havas). But it was the opportunity to make a tangible difference that drew her to the independent agency. “At Total, I had the chance to shape the digital team and bring in new approaches to upskilling, structuring, and the way we ran our teams,” she says.

As the agency grew, so did Saturnino’s remit—expanding beyond digital to take on offline and commercial responsibilities, and eventually into a leadership role that combined cultural stewardship with business strategy. In 2020, she was appointed CEO, shortly after Total Media became part of the Europe-wide independent group Serviceplan. The agency was rebranded Mediaplus London, aligning with the global Mediaplus network.

Today, she is helping define what the 'House of Communication' means for the UK market: a connected, cross-disciplinary offer that combines behavioural science, media, AI, martech, and consultancy services under one roof. While the agency now has access to a global network—including centres of excellence in places like San Francisco—its independent spirit remains intact.

That entrepreneurial spirit, Saturnino believes, is essential to retaining talent and delivering modern client solutions. Mediaplus London is increasingly being asked to advise clients not only on media strategy but also on people, DE&I, and AI adoption. And with the rise in demand for behavioural science and effective measurement, the agency’s longstanding specialism in understanding human drivers is more relevant than ever.

Internally, Saturnino has focused on creating a culture of inclusivity and transparency. A moment of personal significance came when she became the first woman to join the board, just as she was about to take maternity leave. She now mentors emerging leaders and advocates for better female representation across the industry.

In a world where media channels are converging and expectations of agencies are shifting, Saturnino’s blend of commercial sharpness, strategic clarity, and cultural advocacy puts Mediaplus London in a position to redefine what independent media means in the UK today. Here she discussed her plans and ambitions for the business.

Creative Salon: You joined Total Media in 2012 and became CEO in 2020. How has the agency evolved during that time?

Celine Saturnino: I first joined Mediaplus (then Total Media) as head of digital, having worked much of my career to that point in the digital specialist agency i-level before leading both global and UK clients at what was MPG, now Havas. I was drawn to the opportunity to make a significant impact, unlike at a larger agency, where roles are more defined and limited in scope. At Total, I had the chance to shape the digital team and bring in new approaches to upskilling, structuring, and the way we ran our teams. As the business grew, I took on more responsibility, moving from digital to offline, and then transitioned into a commercial-focused role. Eventually, I pitched the idea of a role that blended a focus on people and culture with a sharper lens on commerciality. The leadership supported it, and this evolved into the role of MD, where I took on broader responsibilities. Following the MediaPlus acquisition, I became CEO of MediaPlus London.

CS: Tell us how your role has changed since the Serviceplan acquisition?

Celine Saturnino: The main changes have been structural and the ability to drive the overall vision. Now, more teams report directly to me, including strategic and client teams. With a unified structure, I ensure alignment across departments, giving me more influence. The acquisition broadened our international scope. We’re part of a bigger independent network, integrating with MediaPlus globally, opening new opportunities locally and internationally as we introduce our strategic offerings into new markets. The UK also plays a significant role in the ongoing development of the Mediaplus global service proposition, which is really exciting.

CS: How does your offering and independent thinking differ from competitors?

Celine Saturnino: There are two key things that set us apart. First, we’ve always focused on behavioural insights and positioning. We’ve invested in skill sets and technology that give us a superior strategic view of clients’ businesses, which sees us winning pitches and building strong relationships. Secondly, we have a strong independent, international offer which is unrivalled. The acquisition also allows us to tap into services offered across our global proposition, including management consultancy and AI where we have a centre of excellence in San Francisco. We now offer a larger range of services, from martech consultancy to AI, delivered in an integrated way.

CS: How are market shifts and economic headwinds shaping your conversations with clients?

Celine Saturnino: In a world where media ‘channels’ are converging as data and technology advance but where audience behaviour becomes more and more nuanced; our focus is delivering in-depth audience understanding and how to reach them in a way that cuts through the noise. We couple this with highly developed measurement frameworks to ensure we measure what matters. We see this as fundamental to commercial success in a world where we are bombarded with media metrics, many of which have no meaningful connection to business metrics.

Our business diagnostics team hear directly from clients on their key business challenges and often this will open conversations about their requirements across all marketing services, not just in media. This can also extend beyond media and marketing with clients coming to us for advice in their corporate people strategy; their approach to DE&I; how to roll out AI and so on. They want to know how we operate generally to take ideas back to their own operative models.

CS: Are these DE&I conversations driven by geopolitical pressures or your advocacy?

Celine Saturnino: The DE&I conversations between us and our brands are often driven by clients either requiring support in their own business or through an expectation of the partners they work with and the culture they represent. Over the last couple of years, we are seeing the request for transparency in approach to DE&I come up more and more in pitches as clients value working with agencies that reflect their own cultural ethos. As we develop our relationships with clients, this can extend into us sharing our policies, clients speaking at our events focused on diversity and us attending events and sharing knowledge together.

CS: How are clients engaging with you on AI?

Celine Saturnino: Globally, MediaPlus has its own AI tool and specialist group. I’m excited by the chance to learn globally and scale fast. Locally, we formed an AI Task Force to drive innovation and support team efficiency. We audited skills and comfort with AI, then rolled out training and tool enablement. For clients, we run AI workshops on adoption and psychological safety. These help clients assess readiness, barriers, and knowledge. Many clients jump to "What tools can we use?" but we push for foundational skills and mindset first before tools.

Also, AI supports our agency delivery across all areas including research and the ability to mine data to media delivery as well as the way we operate. By touching every part of our business it is integrated in the way we understand how consumer behaviour is evolving e.g. in the use of AI platforms for search from a media point of view but also understanding behaviours in AI – people’s individual perspectives and what motivates their engagement with AI as part of their role.

CS: Can you point to a campaign where behavioural science truly shaped the outcome?

Celine Saturnino: Our work with Hiscox stands out. They wanted to target segments with tailored messaging. We researched 25 behavioral biases and found their audience underestimates the risk of being underinsured. Instead of many small campaigns, we created one message around underinsurance risk for different types. We partnered with Uncommon, their creative agency, to bring it alive. The campaign won awards for creative innovation and collaboration, which I love. It continues to generate buzz. People feel passionate about it—a clear sign of success.

CS: The Serviceplan acquisition is recent. How do you keep Total Media’s entrepreneurial spirit?

Celine Saturnino: MediaPlus is a great fit. Their ethos values entrepreneurship and independence, matching Total’s culture. It has been an easy transition because our core values align with a strong focus on independent thinking and innovation. As an independent there is a lot more focus on individuals and the value they drive and significant opportunity to be responsible for solution development without the complex structures of approval that often exist elsewhere. Maintaining these structures is fundamental to the success of our business in retaining and developing the talent that come to us to have the latitude to make a difference and where you have the ability to influence across the whole business.

CS: You said you wanted to make your mark when joining MediaPlus. Is there a moment you felt you’d done that?

Celine Saturnino: No single moment, but joining the board was a big internal milestone. I was the first woman on the board and about to go on maternity leave then. This, for me, was a significant positive reflection of the culture I had joined. Since that time, I have been mentoring and advocating for female leadership, promoting and retaining female talent. More work remains. This year, I reluctantly joined a male allyship and gender equity panel, which became one of our most positively received internal events. I felt proud because it resonated widely and showed real impact.