Former EssenceMediacom North COO joins Open Partners as Non-Executive Director
Holly Hill
Marketing Partner at Open Partners.
Paul Cooper, former COO of EssenceMediacom North, is joining independent agency Open Partners, as Non-Executive Director, effective 1 December.
Cooper spent two decades leading EssenceMediacom North, guiding its expansion into the largest media operation outside London and WPP’s third-largest hub in EMEA.
Under his leadership, the agency became WPP’s centre of excellence for digital innovation, AI-enabled activation and high-growth D2C clients. He joins Open Partners following a six-month period of gardening leave.
In his role as Non-Exec Director, Paul Cooper will join Nicky Unsworth, existing Non-Exec Director and former CEO at creative agency BJL, in supporting Open Partners founders and executive committee with commercial focus, leadership development and long-term business planning during a continued period of growth for the award-winning agency.
Founded in 2017 by former Dentsu executives Joe Procter, Michael Leppan and Elliot Muscant, Open Partners is rapidly becoming one of the UK’s most recognised independent agencies for growth and innovation. In 2025, the agency was named in both The Sunday Times 100 and the Financial Times 1000, marking it as one of the fastest-growing businesses in the UK and Europe.
Commenting on the move to Open Partners, Cooper said:
“I’m joining Open Partners at a moment when the industry is shifting faster than ever. Big networks are slowing themselves down with heavy structures and old ways of working, and clients feel it. They need agencies like Open Partners who can move at the pace of technology and consumer behaviour.”
Cooper continues:
“Open Partners’ AI + Human model does exactly that. It’s focused on outcomes, built for integration, and geared for real growth, not just bigger budgets.They’re not reacting to change; they’re pushing it forward. That’s why I’m here, and I can’t wait to help shape what comes next.”
Co-Founder and Exec Chair of Open Partners, Joe Procter, added:
“Paul is one of the most respected leaders in UK media, and his decision to join Open Partners is a powerful endorsement of what we’ve built and where the agency is going. His experience scaling high-performing teams, his deep digital expertise, and his ability to deliver transformational results for clients make him an exceptional addition.”
