Sue Frogley’s Next Act: Reimagining Talon

When Sue Frogley was named global CEO of Talon at the beginning of last year, it marked not just a new chapter for the out-of-home (OOH) specialist — but also for Frogley herself.

Best known for leading Publicis Media UK, she oversaw more than £2bn in billings and ran one of the UK’s largest media groups. Frogley left Publicis at the end of 2023 after nearly a decade at the agency group, including six years as CEO. In that time, media and the UK became two of the fastest-growing parts of Publicis Groupe. She also oversaw the simplification of Publicis Media, whereby the group consolidated to three agencies, Zenith, Starcom and Spark Foundry, and revamped its leadership. She could have easily continued to thrive within the familiar terrain of holding companies. But instead, she made a decisive pivot — choosing a business that was faster, more entrepreneurial, and poised for its next stage of growth.

“I needed something different,” she explains. “I wanted somewhere I could genuinely make a difference and get things done.”

Talon offered that promise — and, crucially, the autonomy. Since its UK launch in 2013, Talon has built operations in 14 key cities across the UK, EMEA, North America and Asia-Pacific. It secured the backing of private equity firm Equistone Partners Europe in 2022 to help fund its global expansion. Since then, Talon has acquired Evolve and Novus Media Canada Corp (now Talon OOH Canada). Frogley reports to chairman Stewart Easterbrook, also formerly Publicis Groupe.

The appointment of Frogley signalled Talon's ambition to scale with discipline and vision. Over the past year, Frogley has set about doing exactly that. Her leadership style — clear-eyed, commercial, and rooted in people and culture — is well-known across the industry. From her first days in the role, she’s focused on reinforcing the fundamentals: sharpening the business strategy, bolstering Talon’s creative and tech credentials, and bringing in the right talent to fuel growth. “The core product was strong,” she says, “it just needed enhancing.”

Frogley has also wasted no time setting a global strategy in motion – a strategy that includes a targeted international expansion, programmatic investment, and product development. In her words: “Our focus is on scaling, but doing it smartly.” Last year the business grew by 25 per cent, and she's aiming for double digits again this year. A bold ambition in the current climate, but under Frogley’s focused and experienced leadership, few will be surprised when it’s realised.

She's already helped Talon expand to more than 450 employees, with offices in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Dubai and Singapore. The transformative acquisition of US-based Evolve has given Talon the ability to buy in every major city and airport worldwide – all from a single central team.

“That’s massive for global clients who want consistency across markets, whether it’s Mumbai or Nashville,” she explains. “We take care of all the complexities – different currencies, time zones, audience segments, even local regulations – all through a single point of contact.”

Alongside this infrastructure build-out, Frogley has been re-shaping the leadership team with an intentionally broad lens. As she puts it, “We’re deliberately bringing in talent from outside the out-of-home industry. It brings fresh thinking, broader experience, and challenges us to keep evolving.” The additions include global chief product officer Andy Stevens, who joined from Clear Channel where he was chief data officer for Europe; global chief commercial officer Charlie Goldring, promoted from the role of UK chief commercial officer; and global communications director Mandy Rayment, who left Publicis Media UK as director of communications at the end of last year.

Frogley’s approach to the role blends the discipline of her agency pedigree with the freedom of an independent mindset, she says. Decisions get made quickly. Ideas are acted on. And commercial investment decisions are approached with a long-term view — something Frogley says was a “real shift” from her holding-company experience.

And creativity remains at the heart of that. Talon’s creative production arm, Grand Visual, continues to bring standout ideas to life — from Specsavers’ crashed van to Walkers Worcester Sauce relaunch — while also working in close partnership with agencies on campaigns like the Cannes-winning British Heart Foundation’s ‘Til I Died.

But Talon isn’t just chasing attention — it’s building a more robust, intelligent, and effective global OOH ecosystem. That includes investing in smarter measurement and sustainability, two areas Frogley is keen to improve industry-wide. She’s frank about the sector’s limitations — from data transparency to misconceptions about the carbon footprint of digital screens — and equally determined to lead the charge in changing the narrative.

For Frogley, the move to Talon has also been a personal reinvention of sorts. “I used to say I had one of the best jobs in the world at Publicis,” she says. “But this is even better.”

There’s momentum behind that statement. This is, unmistakably, a new kind of leadership role for Frogley — but one where she seems energised by both the freedom and the responsibility. “I was a bit worried I might be too ‘holdco’,” she admits. “But I saw the opportunity from the start. I saw the creativity, the tech, the people – those are the three levers.”

As she sets her sights on continued international growth — with the US a key focus — she’s also clear-eyed about what makes the difference. “Happy people do great work,” she says. “That doesn’t change whether it’s a big company or a small one.”

And while her younger self might be surprised by where she’s ended up, Frogley says she’d also be proud. “I don’t think she’d believe it,” she says with a smile. “But I think she’d be quite pleased.”

The full edited version of the Q&A with Sue Frogley follows below.

Creative Salon: Let’s start with your move to Talon. What made you want to take on this challenge?

Sue Frogley: I’d spent most of my career in holding companies, and I loved it. But I needed something different. I wanted something more entrepreneurial, faster-paced, somewhere I could genuinely make a difference and get things done. Talon offered that agility and speed – it just felt right.

The business is very entrepreneurial, very nimble, very decisive.

People often talk about the agility of indie businesses – sometimes it sounds like a cliché. Do you really feel the difference?

One hundred percent.

At Publicis, I could make decisions, but of course they always had to be ratified which can take time. At Talon, when I found this building for example, I said, “OK, what happens now?” And they said, “Nothing. You’ve decided.” That was it – we signed the lease. Or when we had an investment opportunity that would have required us to miss our budget for the year - something that, in my past experience, was usually a non-starter. But in conversations with our investors, we aligned on the bigger picture - the investment had the potential to generate significantly greater returns over the next few years. That kind of long-term thinking was a shift for me.

You’ve had a hugely successful career. When you joined Talon, did you have a clear vision for what you wanted to achieve – and has that evolved?

It hasn’t changed, surprisingly. I thought it might. Talon was already a successful company, and I believed I could take it from very good to great. I was a bit worried I might be too “holdco.” I even asked people here to tell me if I ever sounded like I was reverting – and someone did once, rightly!

But I saw the opportunity from the start. I saw the creativity, the tech, the people – those are the three levers. I’ve always believed in putting the right people in the right places and empowering them. The core product here was strong – it just needed enhancing. We’re never going to be in every country, so we’re focusing on the ones that matter. That vision’s held true.

So, you've surprised yourself?

Yes and no. I’ve always been pretty good at seeing around corners, but I was genuinely pleased to find I could thrive in a very different world from where I started.

What would you say is Talon’s point of differentiation?

We’re specialists. Everyone here lives and breathes out-of-home - it’s what they do, day in and day out. That deep focus means we’ve kept a real level of craft that can sometimes get diluted in broader, more generalised environments. Alongside that, we’ve invested heavily in tech - smart tools for insight, measurement, optimisation.

But at the heart of it all, it’s the people. That’s what really sets us apart.

You recently made senior-level changes. What kind of team and culture are you building?

Culture should be the same regardless of business size - clear vision, clear strategy, the right people empowered to do their best work. Happy people do great work. That doesn’t change whether it’s a big company or a small one.

You mentioned clear vision and strategy. How does that translate into commercial and personal success?

For me, success means driving consistent, sustainable business growth - that’s always the goal. Personally, I’m motivated by doing a great job, delivering real results, and building a strong, high-performing team. That’s what drives me.

How has your experience in the holding companies shaped how you lead now?

It was incredibly valuable - I worked with brilliant people and saw outstanding work. It also shaped how I lead today. I’ve learned how important clear, honest communication is - even if the answer is no, people appreciate knowing why. It’s easier when the business is smaller - I’ve made a point of visiting every office and being visible - people know me and know they can reach out. That really matters to me.

We’re now at over 450 people with offices in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Dubai and Singapore. The big step change for us came through the acquisition of Evolve. It means we can buy in every major city and airport globally – all from one central team. That’s massive for global clients who want consistency across markets, whether it’s Mumbai or Nashville. We take care of all the complexities - different currencies, time zones, audience segments, even local regulations - all through a single point of contact. It just makes global OOH so much simpler and more effective.

You’ve always been close to clients. What’s that relationship like now?

Our media agency clients really appreciate that I’ve sat on their side of the table. I understand the pressures they’re under and how to help solve them. I spend time with end clients too – the brand CMOs - out-of-home really matters to them. I’ve been in global pitches, and just before signing, the CMO would call to ask, “What’s happening with out-of-home?” It’s high-profile, and they care.

Out-of-home reaches nearly everyone - around 97 per cent of the population each week. It’s brand-safe and delivers real impact. That’s why a big part of Talon’s mission is to grow the medium by building stronger trust with CMOs. When they truly understand the power of OOH, they’re much more comfortable investing in it - even though budgets are always competitive.

Where does creativity fit into all this?

Great creative still sells products – and creative gets noticed for all the wrong reasons. Creativity is a big part of what makes out-of-home work so well - that’s why Grand Visual is part of our group. They bring real creative firepower and know exactly how to make ideas shine in this space. We also work closely with creative agencies – for example we supported the Cannes-winning British Heart Foundation ’Til I Died’ campaign alongside Saatchi’s and PhD. We’re not here to control the creative – but to help it perform at its best in out-of-home.

Any recent favourites?

I really liked the recent Canva campaign - it was smart, eye-catching, and sparked great conversation online. [In June, Canva took over all 14 billboards at London’s busiest foot traffic - London’s Waterloo gallery - transforming the space into a live demonstration of its design capabilities - turning inside design jokes into big, visual gags]. Some of our work from last year still gets a lot of buzz, like the Lidl Jacket or Specsavers’ crashed van - both clever, culturally relevant, and with huge social engagement. But I also have a soft spot for the simplicity of traditional out-of-home.

In the US, we run plenty of billboards with straightforward, clear messages like “Turn left in 300 feet,” and those are incredibly effective. It’s the same with some of the major retail brands we work with here in the UK - I’ve heard plenty of examples where sales actually dip if their digital screens aren’t live locally. It really shows how powerful out-of-home can be when it’s done well.

If you could make one change in the OOH sector, what would that be?

Measurement and sustainability. The measurements good, but it's it could be better. The data is strong, but clients are often reluctant to share. If we could publish more effectiveness data, it would help the whole sector.

The other thing I'd love to be able to change is the sustainability part, because there is a misconception that people assume digital screens use huge energy – but they’re far less carbon-intensive than the servers powering Meta or Google. Plus, a lot of OOH revenue goes back into public services and infrastructure like bus shelters and defibrillators, but we need to tell that story better.

What are your top priorities for the next three years?

Our focus is on scaling, but doing it smartly. First, we’re scaling in the US, which is a major growth market for us. Second, we’re continuing to invest in our tech and products, especially around programmatic capabilities. And third, we're growing internationally, but only where there’s strong client demand and a clear strategic purpose.

Last year, we grew by 25 per cent, and we’re aiming for double digits again this year - still a big number, especially given the current market environment. We’ve also hired 35 people globally in just the last three months and moved into new offices so there’s real momentum. What’s exciting is that people want to work here. One of the most interesting shifts we’re seeing is in our hiring - we’re deliberately bringing in talent from outside the out-of-home industry. It brings fresh thinking, broader experience, and challenges us to keep evolving.

Also, programmatic has really changed the game for out-of-home. It’s no longer just a broadcast medium - it can be dynamic, responsive, and part of a proper omnichannel strategy. That means it works better alongside other channels and opens up new kinds of budgets we wouldn’t have seen before. The capability’s there, and we’re helping clients get the most out of it - not just with the tech, but with our understanding of how out-of-home really works on the ground. It’s that mix of smart tools and human insight that makes the difference. We see programmatic as one part of a wider toolkit - brilliant for speed, flexibility, and more tactical campaigns. But it’s not about replacing traditional OOH - it’s about making the whole channel work harder and smarter.

Talon is backed by private equity. How has that changed the way you operate?

That was part of the appeal. I wanted to learn from a new kind of boss. They said, “You run the business - we’re here for investment advice.” They love the company and the numbers, and there's appetite and money for investment. It’s a very different mindset- and I love it.

Are you missing the rhythms of the holding-company world?

Not at all. I used to say I had one of the best jobs in the world at Publicis. But this is even better.