Industry veterans launch new think tank and advisory collective bringing together senior executives and leading experts from media, advertising, entertainment, technology and sport
Jon Watts and Ian Maude today announced the launch of The Project X Institute (PXI), a brand-new think tank and strategic advisory organisation for the media, advertising, entertainment, technology, and sports industries.
PXI brings together a unique team of senior industry executives and leading experts as Advisors-in-Residence to apply their collective expertise to help solve complex challenges in the connected world.
PXI’s Advisors-in-Residence come from varied backgrounds and are pursuing diverse interests. All are seasoned executives and experts with decades of experience in a wide variety of enterprises and organisations around the world. Working individually and collaboratively, the PXI team delivers insight, advice and support to boards, investors, and policy makers.
Our ambition is to combine heavyweight expertise and a flexible and nimble approach adapted to each client’s specific requirements, providing an alternative to traditional consulting firms. We undertake a range of engagements from consortium-backed thought leadership initiatives to bespoke consultancy projects to longer-term partnerships and support for leadership teams and executives
Jon Watts, Executive Director and Co-Founder of PXI, said, “We believe there is a gap in the market for a new type of advisory firm that delivers genuinely heavyweight experience and expertise in a more agile way than traditional management consultancies. As well as advising boards, investors, and policy makers, PXI will also act as a think tank, playing a constructive role in industry debates in the sectors in which we operate.”
Ian Maude, Executive Director and Co-Founder of PXI, said, “The idea behind PXI is simple: to combine the real-world expertise of our team of Advisors-in-Residence with an adaptable and agile approach. We look forward to working with clients to help solve some of the knottiest challenges they’re facing.”
PXI’s Advisors-in-Residence are Al Anstey, Joy Baer, Alex Balfour, Nicola Bamford, Derek Chang, Denise Colella, Mike Darcey, Benedict Evans, April Henry, Amanda Hill, Emily Horgan, Emily Keeton, Daniel Knapp, Ashley MacKenzie, Fiona McKinnon, Emily Palmer, Wim Ponnet, Tomas Salfischberger, Jonathan Steuer, Christy Tanner, Andrea Tartaglia, Claire Tavernier, Jen Tedstone, Jamie West, and Ian Whittaker. For more information and to view their biographies visit https://projectxinstitute.com.
Mike Darcey, Board Director at Sky New Zealand and Arqiva, said, “PXI represents a group of individuals with deep expertise in their respective areas of career focus, people with hands-on experience from the cutting edge. But many of the most interesting questions of the day require expertise from across several subjects, which no one can bring on their own. The PXI model allows us to assemble a cross-disciplinary team to collaborate to deliver insight on these trickiest of issues that few others can match.”
Nicola Bamford, Independent Advisor and previously CEO, International Operations at Endemol Shine Group, said “PXI’s team have the ability to work through and prioritise the often-complex trade-offs required for candid operational recommendations given the group’s cooperative and flexible structure.”
Denise Colella, Executive Council Member at The Center for Consumer and Marketing Insights and Board Member at She Runs It, said, “The pace and complexity of today’s market requires a level of collaboration that transcends companies, verticals and geographies. The global nature of PXI assures solutions take into consideration the leading technologies and best practices available.”
Dr. Daniel Knapp, Chief Economist at IAB Europe and Partner at data science firm Ecuiti, said, “Turning insight into application is one of the largest challenges for businesses and policy makers. PXI helps close this gap through a unique network of acclaimed thinkers and seasoned operators – shaping industry debates, separating signals from noise, and providing the deep on-the-ground experience needed to deliver real impact.”
PXI is launching its first industry initiative this week, focused on supporting the development of addressable media in Europe and backed by a consortium of leading advertising industry participants.
About The Project X Institute
The Project X Institute is a new think tank and advisory collective, dedicated to solving complex challenges across the media, advertising, entertainment, technology, and sports markets.
We bring together some of the most experienced executives and sharpest minds in the industry to help companies, policy makers and investors. We provide an alternative to traditional consulting firms, combining heavyweight expertise and a flexible and nimble approach adapted to each client’s specific requirements.
Founded by industry veterans Jon Watts and Ian Maude, the Institute's team of senior advisors bring their unique expertise, market knowledge, and ability to provide advice at the highest levels to bear on key challenges in the connected world.
About Jon Watts and Ian Maude
Jon Watts is a leading consultant and advisor to the media industry, with 25 years professional experience. He has led numerous high-profile projects in the USA, Europe, and other major markets and consulted for leading companies including Google, Facebook, Comcast, Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal, FreeWheel, Amobee and Nielsen. He works closely with Beet Media and The Drum and is Project Director of two major industry initiatives, the European CTV Initiative and US TV Data Initiative, and was recently announced as the new Managing Director of the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM). Previously, he co-founded MTM, a leading UK TMT consulting firm.
Ian Maude has over 30 years’ professional experience in media and advertising. Before co-founding The Project X Institute, he was a co-founder and board member at Be Heard Group, where he was responsible for group development. Prior to this, he was Director of Digital Media & Technology at Enders Analysis where he published extensively and consulted for numerous organisations on digital media and advertising. Previously he was VP, Advertising & Ecommerce at Aol Europe, where he built its UK advertising sales organisation. While at Aol Europe, he co-founded the IAB in the UK.
Media contacts
For further information, please contact:
Jon Watts | jon.watts@projectxinstitute.com | +44 7974 255398
Ian Maude | ian.maude@projectxinstitute.com | +44 7900 698498
Note: All PXI Advisors-in-Residence are independent advisors and consultants.