LONDON — United Talent Agency has named one of its partners, Darnell Strom, as head of the U.K. office, where he will oversee the growing local business and continued expansion into key markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Strom’s role is a new one, and UTA said his appointment underscores the company’s ambition “to evolve London into a major international hub” following a number of investments over the past two years including the acquisition of literary agency Curtis Brown, Roof Football Agency and consultancy firm MediaLink.
The appointment “marks an exciting new chapter for UTA,” said David Kramer, the company’s chief executive officer. “Darnell has long been a connector across departments, industries and geographies. His deep relationships and creative vision make him uniquely suited to lead this next phase of our international expansion.”
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UTA, which is headquartered in Los Angeles and has offices across the U.S. and continental Europe, added that Strom has “deep, cross-disciplinary knowledge” and a global network of client relationships spanning entertainment, fashion/luxury, sports and media.
In the fashion sphere, his clients include Jonathan Anderson, Grace Wales Bonner, i-D Magazine, Karlie Kloss, Gisele Bundchen, Tyler Mitchell and Aurora James. Other high-profile names on his roster are Malala Yousafzai, Michaela Coel and the creators of the BBC/HBO show “Industry,” about aspiring investment bankers.
Strom, who will report directly to Kramer, described London as “one of the most dynamic and creative markets in the world, and UTA has only scratched the surface of what’s possible here. I’m honored to lead our next phase of growth working with the incredible team we have in London, to build a stronger and more connected UTA across London, Europe and beyond.”
He will work with UTA’s London teams across music, creators, brand marketing, comedy, production arts and advisory services, and will collaborate closely with Curtis Brown Group and Roof.
Strom joined UTA in 2019 and was previously head of the culture and commerce division. Previously he was an agent at Creative Artists Agency, CAA, where he worked with clients across television, speaking, books, motion picture, technology, podcasts and digital as well as helped connect talent with top global brands.
Prior to that, he worked for the Clinton administration, serving as deputy director of scheduling to former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
He was later asked to create a program that reflected Clinton’s vision of engaging the next generation of leaders. That program became the Clinton Foundation Millennium Network, which launched in 2007 and has been recognized as an essential fundraising entity.
Earlier in his career, he served a director of the chair’s office at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and Florida director of operations for John Kerry’s presidential campaign. Strom also worked on U.S. President Barack Obama’s White House entertainment council.