News
Mother in LA Has a New Managing Director and Head of Strategy
Agency News

Mother in LA Has a New Managing Director and Head of Strategy

6.12.25

Mother in LA Has a New Managing Director and Head of Strategy featured image

Now in its eighth year in the city of dreams, Mother in Los Angeles is cementing itself as one of the top agencies on the West Coast. To help CCO Jed Cohen and head of production Erin Goodsell achieve this, Mother in LA has announced hiring Sophie Gosper as managing director and Nika Rastakhiz as head of strategy.

Gosper joins Mother from Droga5 ANZ, where she has been since 2019, most recently serving as General Manager. There, Gosper notably ran Carlton & United Breweries, including premium global brands Asahi Super Dry and Peroni and local icon Victoria Bitter. Gosper brings decades of experience to Mother Los Angeles, including years spent at Grey London and Naked Communications in London and a stint as a journalist for The Australian.

Gosper is an international award-winning accounts leader (Cannes Lions, Clios, Creative Circle, One Show, etc.) At Grey London, she led Lucozade Sport 'Made to Move' — a multi-Cannes Lion award-winning campaign featuring heavyweight and Olympic champion Anthony Joshua.

“When Mother calls, you always answer (or call her straight back… sorry mum!). For me, Mother has always been up high on a pedestal - for both the work and the talent. For their unbridled creativity and unwavering integrity. For a culture that cares about people over profit. As a mum, their mission of “making our children proud” couldn’t be more significant. It is a dream to join this exceptionally talented team and their valued client partners and, hopefully, make my daughter proud.” - Sophie Gosper

Rastakhiz joins Mother from Anomaly LA, where she has been for the last eight years, most recently serving as head of strategy working across the agency's Coca-Cola and General Mills portfolio, as well as pillar accounts like Starbucks and Liquid IV. Before Anomaly, Nika worked at Droga5 and Publicis New York, leading brand planning across various categories, from COVERGIRL to Cadillac.

“I can't believe how lucky I am to join Mother at this inflection point in their story. I'm not joking—a bird shat on my head right after I accepted the offer. On my actual head. With enormous gratitude for the existing foundation, I can't wait to help carve out the unique and prominent role that Mother LA can play for existing and prospective clients, the Motherverse, and the creative talent pool in this city.” - Nika Rastakhiz

Read the full interview here