Don’t forget to dream

30 years after founding AKQA, Ajaz Ahmed resigns as CEO.

Founded by Ajaz in 1994 at the age of 21, AKQA garnered a reputation for its pioneering outlook and within five years of founding was ranked as the largest agency in the UK and celebrated its first Agency of the Year award. Shortly after AKQA was named as the largest independent digital agency in the world. To date AKQA has received 83 Agency of the Year awards and over 1700 honours for client work including The Queens Award for Enterprise for a “consistent contribution and outstanding achievement” in innovation.

As the Founder and CEO of AKQA for 30 years, Ajaz has been a rare hybrid of both practitioner and business leader placing creativity, quality, service and thought at the heart of its endeavours. Through his visionary leadership AKQA has built a reputation for delivering cutting-edge, technology-enabled products and services to many of the world’s most respected brands, families and organisations. Proving that courage, curiosity and perseverance can overcome the hardest business challenges is a legacy that he leaves behind to all employees.

During his time at AKQA Ajaz has authored three best selling books: Velocity, Limitless and Defeat and has written for many of the worlds most notable news outlets including The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Fast Company and Forbes.

Ajaz Ahmed said: “Serving AKQA’s team, clients and values over the past 30 years has been the greatest honour of my life. Founding AKQA at a young age was the start of an incredible journey, and if destiny allows, I look forward to another 30 years of meaningful work and making a difference. I’m tremendously energised about the adventures ahead and the opportunity to do something new”.

Ajaz continues to serve on the board of Elton John AIDS Foundation, Virgin Unite founded by Sir Richard Branson and Mission 44 Founded by Sir Lewis Hamilton. In 2022, Ajaz won the Spear’s Impact Award recognising his charitable giving and philanthropy through his foundation Ajaz.org