Ian McAteer

A former Barrister, I have spent the last 38 years working in advertising and marketing in both London and Scotland. Eight years at Saatchi & Saatchi in London forged my skills across advertising, marketing strategy and client service. I was fortunate to work on big brands and international business. Returning to Scotland I was part of the team that helped Faulds Advertising triple in size over three years, winning clients such as Standard Life, VisitScotland, The Macallan and Scottish Power. Then I helped start The Union with three partners, and got to really understand what business is all about. Over 25 years later I have lost none of my original enthusiasm for the marketing industry, and have been fortunate to experience so many different business sectors. My focus is always to understand the things that make a client's business tick, and really grasp the fundamentals and metrics that matter. I've always been a frustrated creative - so nothing gives me more pleasure that pushing the boundaries and helping clients to get noticed and effect change. What's keeping me fresh and interested now is the digital space, and applying common sense and simplicity to digital channels so they work more efficiently. Running the Union Group, with 85 talented people, lots of great clients and producing award-winning campaigns for over 25 years is both a privilege and a joy. I am a Fellow of the IPA and the Marketing Society and proud that The Union has been named Scotland's Agency of the Year four times, most recently in 2021.