Only you—and you alone—know who you really are. You have the power of self. Social measures are a man-made delusion. Social strata are pretty much medieval. Human knowledge: a knowledge of self and one’s effects upon others is what truly matters.
Alexei orlov, Is Pursuing Happiness the Smart Thing to Do? – Psychology Today
Alexei Orlov’s Professional Biography Snapshots
Alexei Orlov is the Founder and Global CEO of MTM, a global marketing, and communications holding group underpinned by its own proprietary technologies. The portfolio of individual creative companies specializes in relevant cultural, social, and audience intelligence, creative strategies, experience design, content creation, production, and media deployment. MTM currently has four agencies, including Local Projects, Camron PR, SSR, and NOM, servicing over 120 clients across the globe.
Entrepreneur to Global Corporate CEO and Back Again
Before founding MTM, Alexei worked as the Senior Advisor to the Chairman & CEO of DAS Group of Companies. DAS is an International $8B division of Omnicom Group PLC (OMC). He also served as the Global Chief Executive Officer of RAPP: Core DialogTM Worldwide. Alexei joined the group in 2014 and oversaw the exciting reversal of the company back to profit with a highly acclaimed global business and rebranding reset. This resulted in a significant influx of new business and world-class leadership talent.
A Legacy Left within the Global Automotive Industry
Previously, he held the position of Chief Marketing Officer for Volkswagen Group China. He was responsible for the overall marketing, brand strategy and positioning for the overall portfolio of the Volkswagen Brands across Greater China and ASEAN.
As a member of Volkswagen’s Executive Leadership Team, Alexei was jointly responsible for the commercial excellence of the company’s significant regional business, as well as being co- responsible for the brand integrity and marketing deployment of the organization’s key brands, including Volkswagen, Škoda, Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Seat, Bugatti, and Porsche.
A Decade as a Wunderman
Alexei served with Wunderman for eight years—one of the largest digital specialist agencies—as President Europe, then as Global COO and finally as Executive Vice-Chairman, Worldwide. During this time, he also served as the Global Strategic Lead for WPP plc for the automotive business, where he co-led Ogilvy & Mather, Wunderman, Mindshare, Y&R and JWT on their collective work for Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, and Volvo. He was also a key commander and strategist in the acquisition of numerous companies across the Globe.
The Beginnings/Learning to Lead
Prior to joining WPP / Wunderman, Alexei owned and ran ROCQM and MCW, specialists in brand strategy and commercial recovery. He later sold the business to WPP. The company subsequently became one of the key cornerstones of what later became RMG Connect, a global strategy service within the WPP portfolio.
Prior to running ROCQM / MCW, Alexei was Global Brand Communications Director for Volvo Cars and Marketing Director of Volvo UK, then the second-largest national sales company for the Volvo Corporation. Prior to Volvo Cars, Alexei was the Marketing Director of Avon Cosmetics Retail, Europe—the youngest executive ever to be appointed to a director position at Avon.
From Passionate Leaders Comes Recognized Successes
Alexei Orlov’s passion for brand stewardship and operational leadership, powered by dynamic and happy teams, was visible at the very start of his professional life as a founding member of the highly successful Paperchase Retail Group, which was subsequently sold to WHSmith plc.
In 2012, and 2013, Alexei was awarded CMO of the Year / ASEAN by the World Brand Congress. In 2013, Alexei and his team at Proximity were awarded the Cannes Gold Lion Award for the creation of the largest automotive social media platform—the People’s Car Project—with 28 million users and 108 million YouKu followers. Also that year, Alexei was invited to be one of the top keynote speakers at the prestigious Global Brand Forum.
Alexei Orlov, the Leader’s Leader
Alexei Orlov is a trusted advisor to a diverse set of companies spanning the globe—coaching and steering blue-chip leadership teams to work through their brand, communication, and operational challenges. He assists them to think and deploy for distinctive advantage in fierce and cluttered trading environments.
With experience spanning 30 years across 40 countries and more than 50 brands, Alexei Orlov is a proven authority in global brand strategy, regional and cross-cultural marketing deployment, and operational change management.
Personal authority does not come from promises or grandstanding, but from truthful action—deeds with purpose. So much in life has been orphaned because we humans have failed repeatedly to do the right thing; we’re short on effort, but long on opinion.
Alexei orlov, Be Known for What You Do, Not What You Say – Psychology Today
Professional Accomplishments
(by type of business and role)
As an Entrepreneur
FOUNDER & CEO, MTM CHOICE
- 4 agencies strong
- with headquarters in Los Angeles, New York City, and London with ~
- 120 clients and
- 135 employees
FOUNDER & CEO, ROCQM
- sold to WPP
- became the cornerstone of global leader RMG Direct
FOUNDING MEMBER, Paperchase Retail Group
- highly successful chain of retail stores in the UK, Europe, and the U.S.
As a Leader on the Agency side
SENIOR ADVISOR TO CHAIRMAN & CEO, DAS Group
- $6Bn Division of Omnicom PLC
GLOBAL CEO, RAPP
- 50 Offices Worldwide;
- T/O $400M.
- Specialists in CRM, Brand Strategy, Direct Marketing.
- Led RAPP in dramatic turnaround from 4% EBITDA to 18% EBITDA in under 24 months.
- Omnicom PLC
EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN / PRESIDENT / GLOBAL COO, Wunderman
- one of the world’s largest DM / Digital specialists / WPP PLC
- Grew his division from $400 million to $1.8 billion
As a Leader on the Client-side
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, Volkswagen Group China & Asia
- ~$80 Billion Portfolio across all VW brands –
- Brands Included – Audi; Porsche; Bentley; Skoda; Seat; Lamborghini; Bugatti –
- Market Leader for 2 consecutive years
GLOBAL BRAND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR and MARKETING DIRECTOR, Volvo Cars – worldwide and UK
MARKETING DIRECTOR, Avon Cosmetics Retail
- youngest executive to be appointed to a director position at Avon
Signature Highlights & Coveted Industry Recognition
- Alexei Orlov has led, co-led, or participated as part of leadership teams in a number of mergers and acquisitions and operational integrations
- Two-time recipient of Chief Marketing Officer Of The Year Award: ASEAN
- Holder of two Gold Cannes Lion awards:
- Co-Creator for the Volvo strategy and launch creative for the Volvo 850 worldwide
- Awarded again together with Proximity for the world’s largest Brand following online for the People’s Car Project in China – breaking the previous record held by Pepsi Cola
Give your best and in so many ways, you will receive.
Alexei Orlov, Give the Best of Yourself – Psychology Today