About us.
Digital marketing, reinvented
Croud is a global full-service digital agency that drives growth for brands through reinvention.
We believe the traditional agency model is broken – it’s too slow, rigid, and inflexible. That’s why we reinvented the agency model, combining a global network of digital marketing experts with a leading in-house team to give clients more time, more flexibility, and a focus on real business outcomes.
Founded in 2011, Croud is part of the Croud Group, which also incorporates leading social agency Born Social and luxury specialists VERB Brands.
A brief history of Croud
2011
Croud is born
- In April 2011, former Head of Search Ben Knight and ex-Googler Luke Smith launched Croud in the UK
2012
A growing team
- One year in, we had seven employees, a rapidly expanding network of Croudies, and a fast-growing client base
2013
Google-recognised
- In 2013, Croud was recognised as Google’s fastest-growing search agency in the UK
2014
Space to grow
- In 2014, we moved into new, bigger offices in both London and Shrewsbury, to accommodate our growing team of 40+ staff
2015
Digital specialists
- In 2015, we expanded our range of digital services to include programmatic and paid social, alongside PPC and SEO
2016
Moving stateside
- Five years in, we set up our office in New York, bringing our digital expertise to the US market for the first time
2017
Industry leading
- As well as welcoming our 100th global employee to the business, Croud picked up a multitude of industry awards
2018
A great place to work
- With our client base and employee numbers continuing to rise, Croud was named as one of the Sunday Times’ Best Companies to Work For
2019
A new era
- Croud became a Google Marketing Platform reseller, launched Serpico, our dedicated in-housing division, and received £30m in funding from LDC to drive growth
2020
Continued growth
- In 2020, we welcomed our 200th employee and lots of new clients, as well as bolstering our ecommerce and data solutions offering
2021
Croud turns 10
- In 2021, Croud celebrates its 10th anniversary and the 5th anniversary of our US business. We were also named Campaign’s Performance Agency of the Year, as well as a Star Performer in Campaign’s School Reports.
2022
Award winners
- In 2022, Croud opened offices in both Dubai and Serbia, and were named Campaign’s UK Agency of the Year for the second year in a row, as well as US Performance Marketing Agency of the Year by Performance Marketing World. We welcomed new clients including Ooredoo Jigsaw and AllSaints, and acquired global social media agency, Born Social
2023
Celebrating our people
- In 2023, Croud was named one of Sunday Time’s Best Places to Work, and appointed Avinash Kaushik as Croud’s Chief Strategy Officer and Audrey Lucy as Chief People Officer to further strengthen our senior leadership team.
Our values
Passion
At Croud we really care about what we do – and about doing a brilliant job for you, our clients. We obsess over your business, and always have your performance goals front of mind.
Imagination
We never rest on our laurels and are natural problem-solvers. We continually push the boundaries for our clients – whether that’s through technological advancement or innovative business solutions.
Integrity
We care about doing the right thing, and about acting as a partner – not a supplier – to our clients. We put accountability, transparency, and meaningful results at the centre of everything we do.
Award-winning
We’ve been recognised across the industry and beyond for our unique model and innovative client work, including for Integrated Campaign of the Year at the Campaign Tech Awards and Most Effective Use of Data for Creativity by The Drum.
Croud’s global leadership team
Croud’s operational board consists of key leaders within the business who support and lead our teams across every office. With our clients’ and teams’ best interests at heart, they oversee and drive forward the Croud business.
Luke Smith
Founder + CEO
Ben Knight
Founder
Amit Khanna
Head of M&A
Dean Gardner
Global Chief Operating Officer
Richard Holmes
Chief Financial Officer
Emil Bielski
Managing Director, UK
Heidi Ayton
Chief of Governance and Compliance
Jon Ditchburn
Executive Operations Director
Kris Tait
Managing Director, US
Nisha Patel
Managing Director, MENA
Jon King
Group Chief Operating Officer
Sophie Wooller
Chief Operating Officer
Audrey Lucy
Chief People Officer
Avinash Kaushik
Global Chief Strategy Officer
Croud cares
At Croud, we believe that it is both the big and small changes that can help make a difference. We care about our environment, our people, and about giving back to the community.
Going green
From computer hardware to coffee beans, we recycle as much as we can. Plus all of our offices are paperless, and we only use energy-efficient lighting. We partner with sustainable and local producers, and are committed to using as little plastic as possible.
Going green
From computer hardware to coffee beans, we recycle as much as we can. Plus all of our offices are paperless, and we only use energy-efficient lighting. We partner with sustainable and local producers, and are committed to using as little plastic as possible.
Charity fundraising
You name it, someone at Croud has probably done it for charity. From running up buildings, cycling from London to Amsterdam and the Three Peaks challenge, to virtual bingo, fancy dress, and many, many bake sales – we are always ready for our next charity challenge or activity.
Digital support
We carry out pro bono work for several charities across the globe, including cancer charity Ellie’s Friends and Exhale to Inhale, a non-profit that runs yoga sessions for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. If you’re a charity in need of some digital support or advice, get in touch.
Digital support
We carry out pro bono work for several charities across the globe, including cancer charity Ellie’s Friends and Exhale to Inhale, a non-profit that runs yoga sessions for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. If you’re a charity in need of some digital support or advice, get in touch.