Omar Oakes to leave The Media Leader as editor-in-chief
Omar Oakes, editor-in-chief and founding editor of The Media Leader, is leaving the title to pursue freelance and consulting roles.
Oakes joined Adwanted UK as editor of Mediatel News in 2021 and, together with events and publishing managing director Steve Scaffardi, launched The Media Leader in January 2022.
Since then, The Media Leader has grown exponentially in terms of audience and recognition as the leading online publication for news analysis and commentary about commercial media and advertising.
Oakes also led the launch of The Media Leader US and the title now has an established presence in the US, UK and France, in addition to its events footprint in Canada and Australia.
In the UK, Oakes led the roll-out of several key initiatives that have set The Media Leader apart as a values-driven publication that aims to seek solutions to industry challenges and provide a voice for diverse opinions about media and advertising.
These include:
>> The founding values of disruption, inclusion, courage and excellence
>> A daily newsletter with dedicated Strategy Leaders and Career Leaders supplements
>> The Media Leader Podcast
>> The Future 100
>> The Media Leader Awards
‘I came here to build things’
Oakes said: “This has been a tough decision because I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as editor and am so proud of what we’ve achieved. I’m forever grateful to Steve and Greg [Grimmer, Adwanted UK CEO] for their faith in me as we sought to build a genuinely different sort of publication that would lead, not just follow, the important conversations in our industry.
“I’m an extremely lucky editor to have found such supportive, passionate and tenacious colleagues, namely The Media Leader editorial team, who produce the best analysis and commission the best commentary in the business, and our events team, who continue to outdo themselves with each conference we host.
“It’s hard to walk away but I’ve been a working journalist for over 15 years and it’s time for a change. I came here to build things with a purpose and, having achieved that, I will use that experience to develop several projects to launch in the new year — some journalistic and some consultative in nature.
“I will always be highly supportive of my former colleagues and I’ll do whatever I can to keep helping them be a positive force for great ideas and quality information in our industry. I look forward to being able to contribute to The Media Leader and its events in 2025 and beyond.”
‘Always welcome back’
Oakes is one of the UK’s leading media and advertising journalists and has covered this sector for nearly 10 years, having previously spent six years at Campaign. He has also worked at Telegraph Media Group and Newsquest.
Grimmer said: “Omar has had a transformational effect on our overall content output and reputation over the last three and a half years. He was the number-one target we had back in the dark days of lockdown and I fondly remember the two of us having to do another lap of Wimbledon Common (which was the venue for his interview) due to the amount of ideas he had to take our business forward.
“He will always be welcome back here in Adwanted Towers and I look forward to seeing his work not only with us in the future but also on the wider stage. Look out, Amol Rajan — I can see Omar coming for at least some of your many jobs!”
Scaffardi added: “It’s been an absolute pleasure working and building such a fantastic brand with Omar over the past three years. I always had a vision for what The Media Leader could be, but I needed a partner in crime and Omar came in and took that vision to heights beyond what I could have hoped for.
“We’re such a close-knit team that it is always sad when you have to say goodbye to a colleague, especially one that has been as brilliant and influential as Omar has. But I’m excited for Omar and this next chapter for him, and even more excited that this chapter means we will continue to work together in some capacity.
“Like we always say to every team member we’ve had in in my five years with the business who decide to fly the nest, the door is never closed and keep those spare set of keys for whenever you want to come and stay again! Omar will always be most definitely welcome.”
