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Nick Shaw has been promoted to Ocean Outdoor’s new UK chief executive officer, replacing Phil Hall, who has been promoted to Group chief operating officer
Ocean Outdoor's Group chief executive officer, Stephen Joseph, has announced two key appointments in Ocean’s UK and Group leadership teams, as the company aims to drive growth across its seven key European markets.
In the UK arm of the out-of-home (OOH) agency, Nick Shaw, currently chief commercial officer, has been promoted to UK chief executive officer. Shaw replaces Phil Hall, who has been promoted to Group chief operating officer.
Shaw originally joined Ocean UK as agency sales director in 2010, rising through the ranks from sales director in 2015, chief revenue officer in 2017, and finally chief commercial officer in January of 2025.
Hall joined Ocean UK as its joint managing director in 2019, becoming chief executive officer in 2023 and Group chief commercial officer in January 2025, a position he held alongside his UK chief executive officer role.
The changes, which are effective from January 1st, 2026, will allow Hall to focus full time on his new Group, with his duties including to oversee operations, build on commercial relationships across all markets, and deliver on Ocean’s strategic goals.”
Speaking of the appointments, Joseph says: “Both Nick and Phil are central to Ocean’s success. Nick’s promotion in particular reflects his commitment in building a sales division which consistently drives organic growth across the UK business.”
Shaw comments on the evolution of Ocean since he joined, saying: “Ocean is a very different business to the one I joined nearly 16 years ago, with more premium locations, award winning creative work, industry leading tech and data, and new opportunities for audiences to interact with, and brands to build fame from OOH experiences.
“We have some exciting developments in the pipeline for 2026 and as chief executive officer I look forward to taking the UK business forward into the next stage of its evolution.”
Hall adds: “Ocean is a business with a clear vision, great landlord and buy-side partners, and a fantastic team. It’s a privilege to become Group chief operating officer for what I believe is an exciting growth phase across current and new markets.”
