Chris Attewell Joins Leeds Agency 21 Degrees Digital

The former Search Laboratory boss has joined 21 Degrees Digital as a board advisor after the Leeds agency passed the £1m turnover mark

A well-known figure in the Leeds agency scene has taken on an advisory role at a growing local firm. Chris Attewell, the former chief executive who built Search Laboratory into one of the UK’s largest independent agencies, has joined 21 Degrees Digital as a board advisor. The Leeds-based digital marketing agency has appointed him following a record year in which it passed £1m in turnover, with further growth expected. His arrival is a notable signal of ambition for a business looking to scale in an industry being reshaped by artificial intelligence.

Why This Matters For Leeds

Leeds has a strong cluster of digital and marketing agencies and seeing an experienced local leader back a growing one is a healthy sign for the sector. Attewell’s track record brings genuine credibility, and his involvement suggests confidence in the firm’s prospects. It also reflects a wider shift, as agencies race to adapt to AI. A recognisable name backing that journey is a small but real vote of confidence in Leeds’s creative economy.

Why Attewell Is Backing 21 Degrees Digital

Attewell is a recognisable name in Leeds business circles. He helped transform Search Laboratory, the Leeds-headquartered agency, from a specialist multilingual pay-per-click firm into one of the UK’s largest independents, staying on as chief executive after its acquisition by global communications group Havas in 2022 until 2025. He has since launched REALISE Advisory, offering board advice and growth strategy to agency leaders. In his new role he will help with commercial strategy, expansion into new markets and longer-term growth plans. He has known 21 Degrees co-founder and chief executive Rory Mason since their time together at Search Laboratory and said backing a forward-looking business that understands the need to evolve was a natural fit. Central to his thinking is artificial intelligence, which he argues agencies must be ready to adapt to if they are to succeed over the long term.

“For agencies to be successful over the long term, in digital in particular, they have to have a mentality of being ready and willing to evolve and change.”

— Chris Attewell, Board Advisor, 21 Degrees Digital

Growth in a Changing Market

For 21 Degrees Digital, the appointment caps a period of expansion. The agency, which brings together search, social and PR, passed the £1m turnover milestone in 2025 and expects further growth this year. Chief executive Rory Mason, whose background spans those disciplines, said having someone of Attewell’s experience join as an advisor was a significant moment as the firm looks to define its place in an increasingly competitive market. Both men frame the challenge around AI, which is rapidly changing how digital marketing works and forcing agencies to rethink their offer. Bringing in a leader who has already scaled an independent through exactly that kind of change is a considered move, and one that signals its intent to keep growing from its base in the city.