Stagwell (STGW) Appoints Jonathan Gardner as CEO of Harris Quest
Rhea-AI Summary
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) appointed Jonathan Gardner as CEO of Harris Quest on December 3, 2025. Gardner, who has more than 30 years in market research and polling, will report to The Marketing Cloud CEO Elspeth Rollert and lead Harris Quest's AI-powered market research and brand management tools.
Gardner previously served nearly a decade as COO of The Harris Poll and held senior operating roles at The Marketing Cloud, Subject Matter, and Penn Schoen Berland. Harris Quest combines The Marketing Cloud's AI tools with The Harris Poll's research capabilities and offers self-service brand management and survey tools for real-time insights.
Positive
- Leadership appointment announced on December 3, 2025
- 30+ years of market research and polling experience
- Nearly 10 years as COO of The Harris Poll
- Will report to The Marketing Cloud CEO Elspeth Rollert
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, STGW declined 0.37%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
STGW’s gain of 1.92% contrasted with mixed peer moves: CRTO up 1.86%, ZD up 0.28%, QNST up 0.34%, IAS flat, and EEX down 2.16%, suggesting a more company-specific setup than a broad sector rotation.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-09 | AI survey release | Positive | +2.0% | Survey of 100 U.S. CEOs highlighting strong optimism about AI. |
| 2025-12-09 | Agency award news | Positive | +2.0% | Code and Theory named Adweek’s Innovation Agency of the Year. |
| 2025-12-08 | Political polling data | Neutral | -2.3% | Harvard CAPS / Harris poll release on approval and economic concerns. |
| 2025-12-08 | Leadership appointment | Positive | -2.3% | Allison Worldwide appoints a new CEO for Europe to drive growth. |
| 2025-12-04 | Org structure change | Positive | +5.0% | Creation of global communications and advocacy vertical under new chair. |
Recent news has focused on AI, polling data, and leadership/organizational changes. Positive strategic or AI-related announcements often coincided with positive price reactions, while some leadership/poll releases saw declines, indicating selective investor enthusiasm.
Over the last week, STGW has highlighted AI capabilities, political polling strength, and leadership alignment. On 2025-12-04, it created a unified communications and advocacy vertical with expected net revenues approaching $400m in 2025, which preceded a 4.97% gain. Subsequent leadership moves at Allison Worldwide and polling releases around U.S. politics saw -2.26% reactions. Two AI- and innovation-focused items on 2025-12-09 were followed by 1.96% gains, underscoring investor interest in AI-driven growth narratives.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement highlights Stagwell’s focus on scaling AI-enabled research through Harris Quest by appointing a leader with more than 30 years of experience in market research and polling. It follows recent steps to unify communications assets and grow expected net revenues toward $400m in that vertical, alongside improved Q3 revenue of $742.998 million. Investors may watch how Harris Quest contributes to growth, margin trends, and management’s ability to balance expansion with long-term debt of $1.526 billion.
Key Terms
ai-powered technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Bringing more than 30 years of experience in market research and polling, Gardner leads Harris Quest at a pivotal time for growth at Stagwell's The Marketing Cloud and The Harris Poll
With over 30 years of experience in market research and polling, Gardner brings deep expertise to his new role, having spent nearly a decade at The Harris Poll as COO, overseeing all aspects of client fulfillment at the industry-leading research and consulting firm. Prior to his work at The Harris Poll, Gardner held chief operating positions at The Marketing Cloud, communications firm Subject Matter, and global research consultancy Penn Schoen Berland.
Harris Quest is The Marketing Cloud and The Harris Poll's unified brand, offering AI-enabled research and marketing technology solutions. Its self-service brand management and survey tools empower its users to deliver real-time, actionable insights for today's data-driven businesses.
"Jonathan's deep understanding of the marketplace and research tech uniquely positions him to lead Harris Quest to its next chapter of growth. His strategic insight will be critical as we evolve our tools through a combination of AI and human insight — increasing speed and accessibility while maintaining quality, ensuring The Marketing Cloud continues to set the standard for AI innovation and meet clients where they are," commented Elspeth Rollert, CEO of The Marketing Cloud.
"Jonathan has been instrumental in helping The Harris Poll stand out in a crowded marketplace with data that is both trustworthy and accessible. With Harris Quest, he's applying the same commitment to quality and innovation – empowering organizations to make informed decisions," shared John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll.
Gardner remarked on his new role: "Harris Quest bridges the best of both worlds – combining The Marketing Cloud's cutting-edge AI tools and The Harris Poll's market research capabilities – and I'm excited to bring expertise from the service side to build technology with a deep, multifaceted understanding of the product."
About The Marketing Cloud
The Marketing Cloud (formerly Stagwell Marketing Cloud) is a data-driven suite of AI-powered SaaS and service solutions built for the modern marketer. Powered by proprietary data and advanced tools spanning research, communications, creative, and media, it enables organizations to achieve measurable business outcomes by making smarter decisions, faster. The Marketing Cloud was born out of Stagwell's (NASDAQ: STGW) award-winning network, known for delivering creative performance for ambitious brands.
About Stagwell
Stagwell is the challenger holding company built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our specialists in 45+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for our clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.
Contact:
PR@stagwellglobal.com
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SOURCE Stagwell Inc.
FAQ
Who is Jonathan Gardner and what role did Stagwell (STGW) appoint him to on December 3, 2025?
What experience does Jonathan Gardner bring to Harris Quest at STGW?
How does Gardner's role fit into Stagwell's organizational structure (STGW)?
What is Harris Quest within Stagwell (STGW)?
What will Harris Quest's tools offer to clients under Gardner's leadership at STGW?
