News 07.05.26

Introducing the new senior leadership team at Varn: Building for the future of search

As we head towards the midpoint of 2026, the world of search marketing and online discovery, is changing faster than ever. At Varn, we have always believed that staying ahead of the curve of change, is not just about the latest technology or tools…it is about our people.

That is why we are proud to announce the formation of our new Senior Leadership Team, a dedicated group of experienced experts all striving to grow and evolve Varn for the future, fostering innovation and delivering search visibility success for our clients. This move comes as we celebrate a period of significant expansion, including the growth of our specialist healthcare division, Varn Health, and our new London office which opened in January 2026.

L-R (Vicky Walker, Andy Mollison, Danielle Sheppard, Rob Wilde, Helen Dalton, Stephanie Mackay-Stokes, Tom Vaughton)

Joining the existing leadership of Tom Vaughton (CEO), Rob Wilde (MD), and Vicky Walker (Comms Director) our new SLT will our mission to turn search complexity into commercial clarity and growth for ambitious businesses.

"Reflecting on my five years with the agency, I am incredibly proud of how our team has evolved its expertise to meet the fundamental shifts in technology. Having the right people at the helm is vital for our 2026 vision. This new senior leadership team brings the focus, expertise, and visionary confidence required to ensure Varn remains a market leader and a rewarding place to work."

Rob Wilde

Managing Director

A senior leadership team of specialists

Our new SLT brings together deep expertise across the core pillars of our agency:

Andy Mollison

Search & Innovation Director Andy will lead our advancements in SEO/ GEO, data intelligence as well as our digital PR and "search everywhere" strategies. His work focuses on ensuring our clients are visible wherever their audience is looking...whether that is through traditional search, AI platforms, or the emerging world of autonomous AI agents.

Stephanie Mackay-Stokes

Strategy Director Stephanie will be leading our specialist Varn Health division and our expert medical content team in London and is focused on aligning technical expertise with our clients' commercial business objectives.

Helen Dalton

Head of Technical SEO Helen leads our team of technical and search experts ensuring our technical strategy is not just industry leading, but directly responsible for driving measurable growth and a competitive advantage for our clients.

Danielle Sheppard

Head of Client Service Danielle will champion our role as a helpful partner and ensures our client relationships are grounded in trust, transparency, and proactivity that has led to our industry leading 94% client retention rate.

From traditional SEO to AI pioneers

The search industry is moving fast; from aiming to rank on page 1 of Google, to now have the ambition to be the business or brand mentioned in a generative conversation. To lead in this new landscape, we have developed unique frameworks, such as our AI Visibility Framework, which helps businesses maintain visibility as search habits shift. We are also looking ahead to the impact of agentic search, such as our Agentic Shopping Readiness Audit ensuring our clients are prepared for a world where AI agents play a primary role in discovery and decision making.

This new leadership structure provides the strategic clarity we need to continue this innovation. Whether we are working with global pharma brands through Varn Health or ambitious B2B businesses, our goal remains the same…to turn search complexity into growth for our clients.

A culture of partnership

We are enormously proud of our 94% client retention rate, which is a direct result of our commitment to being a helpful, honest and transparent partner. As we grow, our SLT will ensure that our culture remains at the heart of everything we do… from our woodland office to the results we deliver for our clients.

“Search is changing quickly, and the businesses that will benefit most are those that understand how AI, data and human expertise work together. Our role is to help clients make sense of that complexity, build strategies they can trust, and turn search visibility into measurable commercial growth. This new senior leadership team gives us the expertise and structure to support ambitious businesses as search continues to evolve."

Tom Vaughton

CEO