Inizio Engage appoints Creative and Synthetic Leader as Executive Creative Director

Inizio Engage’s XD (Experience Design) specialist area, has appointed Colin Melville as its new Executive Creative Director, marking a significant evolution in its creative and innovation capabilities as it continues to pioneer AI and immersive technologies across the experience sector.

Known for his passion on the intersection between human creativity and synthetic intelligence, Melville starts the ECD role with immediate effect. Having first joined Inizio Engage in 2022, Melville has played a pivotal role in building the company’s AI-driven creative capabilities. Most notably, he established its generative AI film unit from the ground up, scaling it into a profitable, market-leading offer within a year and securing major client wins, including AI-led TV campaigns.

Melville will report to Russ Lidstone, Global President, Inizio Engage XD and steps into the role following a competitive selection process. He will lead creative direction across the company’s global offering, spanning film, digital, live experiences, communications and learning & capabilities.

His appointment reflects both his impact within the business and his broader creative leadership experience. Over the course of his career, Melville has worked with global brands including Discovery, BBC, Google, and PlayStation, delivering integrated campaigns across broadcast, digital, and experiential platforms.

He began his career in broadcast at BBC, ITV and Sky, before going on to hold senior creative roles across agency, in-house and consultancy environments, including founding and leading his own agency and serving as Global Creative Director roles in international businesses.

In his new role, he will work across all areas of the business, bringing together multidisciplinary teams from experiential, employee engagement, learning, film, digital and customer experience, to deliver integrated, future-facing creative solutions for clients across sectors, including healthcare.

Russ Lidstone, Global President, Inizio Engage XD said: “We have a proud reputation for pioneering creative experiences that inspire lasting change. Colin has the right ambition, skillset and mindset to harness the best of our world-class creative and design teams and to blend human capability with technological possibility. I’m delighted to have him step into the ECD position at a time when the role of creative leader has never been more important.”

Melville added: “What excites me most is the opportunity to bring together creativity, innovation and technology in ways that help our clients connect with audiences emotionally and more powerfully. We already do incredible work across the business, and I’m ready to help shape what the next chapter looks like.”

Melville takes over from Mark Gass, who served as Executive Creative Director for almost 20 years, playing a central role in shaping the company’s creative reputation and long-standing client relationships.