Nick Walsh, Founder, MigrateAfter two decades shaping some of the world’s biggest brands under the WPP umbrella with the likes of VML, VMLY&R Commerce, Geometry Global, and Ogilvy, industry veteran Nick Walsh has hung up his WPP boots to launch Migrate, a specialist consultancy designed to help global independent agencies land, expand and thrive in the Middle East.
Migrate aims to unlock growth for world-class independents — by offering them a smarter, faster and lower-risk path into the region’s complex, but opportunity-rich landscape. From business setup and commercial strategy to talent acquisition and RFP guidance, Migrate intends to provide an end-to-end solution for agencies looking to scale in one of the most dynamic communications markets in the world.
“Independent agencies are more in demand than ever — but expanding into the Middle East can be treacherous if you go it alone,” said Nick Walsh, Founder of Migrate. “From regulatory hurdles to cultural nuances, there are challenges at every turn. Migrate exists to remove those barriers, accelerate growth and give the best independents the local edge they need to win here.”
The launch of Migrate comes at a time when the Middle East’s advertising and marketing market is experiencing record momentum, with KSA, UAE and Qatar driving investment in everything from creativity to technology.
Yet despite the boom, more than 60 percent of agencies entering the region fail to take hold, often due to a lack of local knowledge, connections and operational readiness, the newly launched company shared in a statement.
“The reality is that too many great agencies fail to break through here — not because of the work, but because they didn’t localise the way they launch,” Walsh added.
Walsh looks to address a gap in the market
The Middle East is currently dominated by global networks consolidating their reach and influence. At the other end of the spectrum, local SMEs bring cultural relevance, but often lack international experience.
Migrate is looking to bridges this gap, the firm shared in a statement. It offers clients the global polish of a network with the on-the-ground savvy of a local partner, enabling independent agencies to compete at the highest level from day one.
Based in Dubai, it will aim to offer global specialists a lower-risk pathway to enter and flourish in the Middle East — combining market setup, commercial strategy, client access and cultural fluency to fast-track success.
Walsh’s 20 years of experience in growth, expansion, mergers and acquisitions have led him to designing a consultancy that seeks to bring the very best specialist agencies to a region primed for growth and creativity.
Though fronted by Walsh, Migrate is also backed by a number of industry heavyweights, with expertise in legal, compliance, HR, media, operations and more.
This breadth of knowledge and experience is enabling Migrate to offer clients everything from business set up, to recruitment, to brand introductions and prospecting, to procurement registrations to positioning, creative governance, RFP management and more.
From WPP to Founder
Before founding Migrate, Nick Walsh spent 20 years inside WPP, holding senior leadership roles across London and MENA.
Most recently, he served as Chief Client Officer for VML MENA. Prior to that, he was CEO of VMLY&R, successfully leading the business through a number of mergers.
He held leadership positions at both Geometry and Ogilvy Action, steering both to major global awards, including Cannes Lions.
Widely regarded as one of the region’s most trusted client partners, Walsh’s experience building network capabilities and nurturing new market launches has shaped the model Migrate now offers to others.
