M&C Saatchi Group has announced the appointment of McCann UK's Rob Doubal and Laurence (Lolly) Thomson as global joint chief creative officers (CCOs).

The duo have a track record of delivering award-winning creative, strategic and innovative work for brands such as Xbox, Just Eat, Microsoft, Aldi, and SKY, including 100+ Cannes Lions and over 800 awards from major international shows. They first joined forced in 2006 Mother London and Wieden+Kennedy, before joining McCann in 2012, where they were later appointed as joint CCOs for McCann UK.

Doubal and Thomson's new roles at M&C Saatchi Group are part of the company's new operating model, which aims to provide a central focal point for the Group’s creative ambition and activities.

The duo said they "couldn’t be more delighted" to be joining the agency.

"It’s an agency with one the most famous names in advertising history and a legacy of creative brilliance. A truly iconic brand with some fantastic offices around the world. Driving fame and commerce by leveraging art and creativity is what we love to do and joining the new team with a shared ambition to make M&C Saatchi a global powerhouse with creativity at its core got us very excited. Given the speed of change in our industry, harnessing M&C Saatchi’s ‘brutal simplicity of thought’ philosophy with Zaid and the teams was an opportunity we simply couldn’t turn down. We can’t wait to get started," said Doubal and Thomson.

Executive chair of M&C Saatchi, Zillah Byng-Thorne, saidDoubal and Thompson's "creative vision combines with a passion for doing the best for clients". "I expect them to make a huge cultural impact on all parts of the M&C Saatchi Group, which will produce world-class creativity and business results."

The appointment comes hot on the heels of the announcement of incoming global CEO Zaid Al-Qassab, who will start with the agency in May.

"I was wowed by Rob and Lolly’s passion for innovation and commitment to creative excellence throughout the recruitment process. Their unique way of looking at the world, and track record of success with iconic and category disrupting campaigns, will undoubtedly drive transformative results for our clients. I am thrilled to welcome them onboard and look forward to the incredible impact they will make,"said Al-Qassab.

Justin Graham, M&C Saatchi Group CEO AUNZ, reflected on the impact of the appointments in the local market. "The incredible credentials and renowned creativity the duo will bring are testament to the direction the global M&C Saatchi Group business is going. This underlying commitment to drive innovation through our people and our delivery of creative excellence is echoed in Australia and New Zealand as recently seen by the appointment of M&C Saatchi Group AUNZ CCO, Steve Coll, late last year.

“Together, with Steve’s powerhouse creative team that has recently welcomed Scott Dettrick who joins Emma Robbins as joint National ECD, we firmly believe in the strength of our team's ambition. As we roll as one, it is our collective priority to elevate our agency group offer as the leading creative solutions partner for our valued clients.”

Doubal and Thomson will officially assume their roles as joint CCOs M&C Saatchi later this year.