Executive Creative Director, Mather Communications

After a carefree life growing up beside the Thames in Chiswick, Roland headed west in the early 80s to study English at Royal Holloway College, University of London. After emerging with a second class degree, he took a lead from his father  (a film editor who cut such films as the Third Man and Guns of Naverone), pursuing a visually oriented career as a photographic assistant working for the Observer and Sunday Magazine.

It was during an assignment profiling copywriters at BMP that Roland decided to re-align his career path and applied to Watford Art College for a place on the Advertising Writing course. One year, one diploma and one portfolio later, he hit the streets. His first job was at Cogent Elliot followed by a stint at Leo Burnett. In the early 90s, Roland moved to Dorland Direct and then to Bates as it entered its golden period. Here he produced award winning work for a wide range of accounts including Royal Mail, Woolworths and Land Rover to name but a few.

In 1998, he left Bates to become a Creative Director at O&M London. Here he oversaw major pieces of business such as The Observer, the COI and KFC as well as writing D&AD award winning work for ING Barings and Ford.

In 2000, he left O&M and for two years ran a small start-up based in Bloomsbury, during which time he also directed a number of commercials. Roland joined 141Worldwide as Deputy Creative Director in 2004. He became Exec Creative Director soon after.

The last two years has seen substantial growth at 141. Roland takes nothing for granted however and is more focussed than ever on putting creativity at the heart of the company. “To thrive, an agency has to make a difference. And that difference has to be the creative output.”