About Project5

We help forward-thinking brands grow by redefining media planning and buying for the 5th age of media.

The 5 Ages of Media

Media has evolved through distinct eras.

01

Analogue

Mass reach. Limited precision.

02

Digital

Targeting begins.

03

Search

Intent becomes measurable.

04

Social

Platforms shape behaviour.

05

AI-native

Decisioning becomes intelligent.

Project5 is built for the 5th age of media.

Meet our team

Senior expertise on every brief. No juniors.

Pete Robins

Founder & Planner

Still calling himself a media planner, Pete has been in the media agency world for over 32 years. In that time he has founded four other agencies and worked at some of the best in the business. He was the first digital media planner in the UK in the mid-90s, chaired the IPA’s Digital Media Group for over a decade, sat on the main council, and was made a Fellow of the IPA.

He founded Project5 on the realisation that there is more opportunity to do advanced, effective media now than ever before — and that the minority who exploit it will win.

Sam Drake

Executive Director

Sam brings over 20 years of experience across both independent and network media agencies, beginning his career in 2004. He has held roles at Publicis and Goodstuff, working with brands of all sizes across multiple categories.

Career highlights include an IPA Effectiveness Gold for his work on Yorkshire Tea and acting as a launch partner for the Ozone partnership in the UK. He remains a media planner at heart — working with senior clients to show how proper media planning delivers outcomes that matter.

Leena Vara-Patel

Managing Partner, Data Engineering & Technology

With over 25 years of experience spanning media, ad tech, agencies and technology providers, Leena is a seasoned leader known for building high-performing teams and helping businesses use data and technology to create real competitive advantage.

At Project5 she leads all things data and tech — from infrastructure and governance to the systems that power the agency’s work. She is recognised for a practical, people-first approach and for making technology genuinely useful, not just impressive.

Nick Lawson

Chairman

Nick brings over three decades of experience at the pinnacle of the global media industry. As the former Global CEO of EssenceMediacom, he was a driving force behind transforming the network into a world-class powerhouse, redefining how media planning and investment operate at scale.

A media planner at heart, Nick remains passionate about the role of strategic thinking in driving business outcomes, and brings a sharp, seasoned perspective on how agencies can better deliver for clients in a complex market.