WeTransfer announces two new leadership hires to bolster growing advertising arm

Diane Wrightson joins from The Guardian to lead on advertising strategy and operations; Adam Smith from Warner Music Group’s Uproxx Media to take charge of global sales growth

Amsterdam, Tuesday 19 July 2022 - WeTransfer, a global provider of creative productivity tools, announces the hire of two senior individuals to turbocharge the growth of its advertising arm:

• Diane Wrightson has been appointed Vice President of Strategy and Operations, having joined from The Guardian, where she was Head of Campaign Delivery, responsible for the delivery of digital advertising and attracting audiences to commercial digital content. At WeTransfer, she will drive the strategic direction of the advertising team as it invests in new formats and partnerships. 

• Adam Smith takes on the role of Vice President of Global Sales, bringing over a decade of experience from Vevo, Conde Nast and most recently Warner Music Group’s Uproxx Media. He will be responsible for leading global advertising revenue across all key industry verticals and agency teams in the Netherlands, UK and the US.

WeTransfer more than doubled its advertising revenue in 2021, and has continued to outpace market growth this year. From Spotify, Samsung, Oatly and LVMH among others, it counts notable household and global brands across luxury fashion, fast-growth technology through to media, entertainment and travel among a list of clients, who are looking for innovative digital advertising formats to grow their business. 

WeTransfer’s unique full-screen ads have proven to sustain attention, drive positive brand perception and recall, making it a memorable storytelling platform for the highly engaged creative community it serves.

The team will also continue to deliver against WeTransfer’s responsible advertising commitments, donating up to 30% of its advertising real estate to raise awareness for the world’s most pressing issues and offering a 20% advertising discount to fellow B Corporations. 

Natascha Chamuleau, Chief Advertising Officer at WeTransfer, said:

“The advertising offer at WeTransfer has been growing strongly over the past few years with our high quality creative and brand-safe format driving huge appeal and impact for a number of brands and advertisers. Our talented teams are consistently showing that attention is fast becoming the currency of the day, and our brand campaigns drive deeper engagement than other digital formats of this kind.

As we continue to grow and reap the benefits of our longstanding partnerships, we are investing in our teams to bring in new expertise who can further enhance our successful strategy and take it to the next level. I’m thrilled to welcome Adam and Diane, who both have a proven track record in unlocking new revenue streams and delivering impactful campaigns and partnerships, building on the fantastic work our team has already achieved.”

The new appointments come as WeTransfer continues to invest in innovative ad formats, building on its existing compelling offer for brands and media agencies. Notably, its studio team that works on big guest curation projects with artists (including Marina Abramovic, Harris Reed, Solange) is also part of the team that designs ads for brands and features for its ecosystem of creative productivity tools. 

Earlier this week, WeTransfer announced a creative partnership with Outernet London, the major new immersive media and culture district launching this summer in Central London. The strategic tie-up aims to expand WeTransfer’s advertising beyond the purely digital realm and work with like minded platforms that have highly creative capabilities and real-world presence. The content will be commissioned by award-winning digital arts platform, WePresent, and broadcast on Outernet’s immense, wrap around floor to ceiling 360-degree 8K screens – the most advanced immersive space in the world. The works from emerging young talent will run across the year and into 2023 with new pieces added after the initial launch.

Diane Wrightson, Vice President of Advertising Strategy and Operations, adds:

“I’ve been following WeTransfer’s leadership as a responsible tech company for a while, and have been impressed by how digital advertising can be used as a powerful tool to drive positive change and inspire others. The company has built a fantastic industry proposition to engage creatives while putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to taking a stance on big issues of the day. With some exciting plans ahead and tests already underway to expand this advertising suite, I’m looking forward to leading the team in delivering impactful campaigns that make the most of everything WeTransfer has to offer.”

Adam Smith, Vice President of Global Sales, comments:

“I’m delighted to be joining the team to build on the fantastic work the team has already achieved, and helping the company advance on its next stage of growth globally. Having spent my entire professional career amongst brilliant creatives and creators, I'm excited to join such a product- and content-focused brand, with a proud history supporting the global creative community.” 

About WeTransfer

WeTransfer streamlines the workflow process for millions of creative professionals. Its ecosystem of creative productivity tools makes it easy to collaborate, share and deliver work. WeTransfer has more than 87 million monthly active users in 190 countries.

As a certified B Corporation™, WeTransfer has long been a champion of using business as a force for good. Since its founding in 2009, WeTransfer has donated up to 30% of its advertising space to support artists and social causes.