Shirley Watson

Honorary Treasurer

After leaving university in 1977, Shirley joined one of the Big 5 accountancy firms (Ernst & Young) and qualified as a Chartered Accountant. After spending 7 years in audit

In 1984 she was poached by one of her clients and became Finance Director of a Marketing Consultancy Company. That company was bought by BMP Plc in 1986, and Shirley moved into the Group Company, where she stayed, until the acquisition of BMP by Omnicom in 1989.

She then spent 25 years at the Advertising Agency as Chief Financial Officer, currently known as adam&eveDDB and became the longest serving Omnicom Finance Director.

She retired in August 2014 and after taking some time off to travel she has started a consultancy company in order to share her financial expertise and Omnicom were quick to secure her services to help her mentor some of their younger Finance Directors. She is Honorary Treasurer & Chair of Finance and Audit Committee, Media Trust and Community Channel and Fellow of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising and served for 6 years on the IPA Finance Committee.