Critical Mass
Critical Mass, the global digital experience design agency, has hired Grant Owens as its Chief Strategy Officer. Owens, who is based in New York and was formerly the GVP Head of Planning at Razorfish North America, will lead the strategy teams from across Critical Mass’ international offices and ensure the agency is focused on designing meaningful experiences that improve customers’ lives. He will report directly to Critical Mass Chief Executive, Dianne Wilkins, and will sit on the global executive team. Owens spent more than 10 years at Razorfish where he was responsible for digital strategy for clients such as Spotify, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Viacom, CBS Radio, BMW and CNN; prior to Razorfish he was at Euro RSCG 4D.
Critical Mass has hired Grant Owens as its Chief Strategy Officer
Wilkins said: “We spent a long time searching for the right person to lead our global strategy team, so this is a long awaited and exciting appointment. Grant’s experience in building teams and obsession with amazing strategically-driven work makes him the ideal person to take this critical leadership role within the agency. We are thrilled he’s joining the team.” Owens added: “This is a fantastic time to be joining Critical Mass. The industry is in need of a truly customer-centric experience design leader, and that is CM’s sole focus. I'm looking forward to working with the agency’s incredible talent and helping to shape the agency’s future.”
Publicis Melbourne
Ryan Petie has been appointed as creative director at Publicis Melbourne. Petie, who has more than 15 years experience at a national and international level, was formerly deputy creative director of Publicis in Brisbane. He has worked in creative and digital agencies in both the UK and Australia, including Euro RSCG London, Wunderman London and Publicis Mojo, creating work for brands like Chivas Regal, Citroen, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Evian, Reckitt Benckiser and Subway. As part of a shift in creative leadership at Publicis Melbourne, Publicis Mojo creative director Michelle Walsh will also be leaving the agency after 12 years
Ryan Petie has been appointed as creative director at Publicis Melbourne
Grant Rutherford, chief creative officer of Publicis Australia, said: “Ryan is the perfect lead creative-agitator with his direct, mainstream and digital experience. He has a real hunger and inquisitive mind around creativity and the effects it has on our clients' fortunes.” Of the departure of Walsh, he added: “Michelle is much loved and leaves behind an incredible legacy of work. She’s been my right hand since I started and we wish her all the best in her next adventure.”
WONGDOODY
WONGDOODY has announced the addition of Adam Nowak to its Seattle office as Creative Director, where he will drive creative for Amazon. Nowak joins WONGDOODY from FCB LA, where he served as SVP and Group Creative Director. Previously, Nowak was a senior copywriter at TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles where he contributed to Gatorades "Replay" campaign among others. He began his career as a copywriter at DDB Chicago, working on global campaigns for McDonalds and Dell. Throughout his career he has also worked on creative for K-Mart, Nissan, Visa, KFC, Coors, Capital One, and more.
WONGDOODY has announced Adam Nowak as creative director of its Seattle office
Tracy Wong, chairman and co-founder at WONGDADDY, said: “Adams body of work and resume speak for themselves. He has wielded a mighty creative hammer and with it changed the shape of iconic brands. He will have a huge impact on the agency and our creative output.” Nowak himself, adds: “I've admired Tracy and WONGDOODY for a long time they're smart, fast, fun, and it feels like a family. I cant wait to be part of that family, and to help lead the Amazon account moving forward.”
BMF
BMF has hired Alex Derwin as creative director. Derwin started out as a copywriter at Ogilvy London in 1998. Four years later he ran away to Sydney where he stayed for the next 10 years, working at Publicis Mojo, Clemenger and the Monkeys. His next destination was Oregon, where he worked as a creative director at Mutt Industries, a start-up in Portland founded by former Wieden and Kennedy ECD Steve Luker. Derwin joins BMF from Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and his international résumé includes award-winning work for brands including Nike, Nescafé, The Observer Newspaper, Nestlé and St Vincent de Paul Society.
BMF has hired Alex Ferwin as creative director
BMF executive creative director Cam Blackley said of Ferwin's appointment: “He’s a quality hire and exactly what we need to expand the creative firepower here. I’m a big fan of his style of work and he certainly fits with our employ nice people policy.” Derwin himself added: “I’ve come at a great time. You walk through the doors and you can feel the energy of the place. Under Cam, Steve and Christina, the work keeps getting better and better and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Camp + King
Camp + King (C+K) has added senior art director Ali Sooudi and copywriter Erik Gonzalez to its creative team. Sooudi joins C+K from San Francisco shop Venables Bell & Partners, whilst Gonzalez most recently worked at AKQA where he worked on the Apple, Google, Levi’s accounts. Hey will both report to creative directors Rikesh Lal and Jesse Dillow and work across the C+K client roster, which includes Dish Network’s Sling TV, Del Taco, the Hershey Company’s Scharffen Berger and Google.
C+K has added senior art director Ali Sooudi and copywriter Erik Gonzalez to its creative team
C+K co-founder and chief creative officer Roger Camp, said: “We met a ton of great candidates but fell in love with Erik and Ali. Although it's difficult to tell them apart I'm starting to realise that Ali is the one that always looks like he's judging you and Erik is the guy that smiles way too much. It's a little unsettling actually.”
Y&R Group Brisbane
Current joint creative directors of GPY&R, Andrew (Thommo) Thompson and Brendan Greaney have been promoted to Joint ECDs of the Y&R Group in Brisbane. Thompson has been with GPY&R for seven years and assumed the Joint CD title with Greaney in 2012. Since that time the agency has been consistently awarded at Cannes, D&AD, AWARD and the Asia Pacific Effies to name a few. The agency cited ongoing growth of the Group in Brisbane as the reason for the promotion, with staff numbers of the Group in Brisbane now at 95. In light of the growth, the agency is set to move into a stand-alone building in the Southbank Parklands in the coming months.
Andrew (Thommo) Thompson and Brendan Greaney have been promoted to Joint ECDs of the Y&R Group in Brisbane
Y&R Group Brisbane managing director Phil McDonald said: “When I returned to Brisbane in 2012 we made the call to elevate Thommo and Brendan and it’s turned out very well. They have developed strong relationships with our clients, both existing and new, and helped create some of the best work to come out of this market in many years.” Y&R Group ANZ chief creative officer Ben Coulson added: “With Brendan and Thommo at the tiller, GPY&R has become the largest in its market and is still growing, it has a great culture and some heavy duty creative success. They have done everything and more to deserve their ECD badges and I’m bloody happy they said yes.” Thompson and Greaney themselves, added: “Our goal has always been to produce world-class work here in Brisbane. We’re looking forward to making more of it in a new space and across a broader client base.”
Droga5 New York
Droga5 has announced the promotion of two key leaders within its New York headquarters. Susie Nam, General Manager & Head of Accounts, will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer, while Dan Gonda, Group Account Director, will advance as the agency’s Head of Account Management. The promotions come as the agency looks to strengthen the business globally and also follow several new business wins this year, including YMCA, Scion and West Elm. Nam joined Droga5 in 2009 as Group Account Director after tenures at Fallon and Deutsch. As COO, she will be responsible for overseeing all operations at Droga5 New York as well as continuing to evolve best practices across the agency. Gonda joined the agency in 2013 as the Group Account Director after nearly three years as VP/Management Director at Saatchi & Saatchi New York. He will oversee a vast majority of accounts as well as ensure the department operates as a tight group with clear, aligned visions and processes.
Droga5 has announced the promotion of two key leaders within its New York headquarters
Global CEO Sarah Thompson said of Name: “Since joining Droga5 six years ago, Susie has helped grow the agency from 40 to nearly 500 employees. Not only does she drive growth, she has helped position the agency to constantly evolve and innovate as we increase our scale and client mix. All this while keeping us true to our vision of creating the most influential work for our brands.” Of Gonda, meanwhile, she said: “Dan is a fantastic leader in Account Management. He has set the standard for the department which strives to create the environment for the agency to develop great work that drives results.” She added” “Both Dan and Susie represent the depth of our talent that has led us to our success.”
MEC
MEC has appointed Claire Billings to the newly created role of UK marketing director. She will be responsible for all internal and external communications and will be working to increase awareness of MEC’s vision and progress in data, digital, strategy. She will also help MEC forge new collaborative projects with media owners and technology partners to drive industry innovation. Reporting to Ben Gordon, MEC's head of new business and marketing, Claire will work closely with the new business team to support its prospecting activity with a broad marketing programme that helps ensure it works with the right clients. Claire brings a wealth of agency-side marketing experience and an extensive knowledge of the media landscape to the role, having worked as journalist for publications including Campaign, Marketing, Brand Republic and Shots for over a decade. She arrives from RAPP where she was Head of Marketing and Communications.
MEC has appointed Claire Billings to the newly created role of UK marketing director
Stuart Bowden, the agency's joint UK CEO, said: “Claire's industry knowledge and experience of driving effective agency marketing strategies is exactly what we need to increase awareness of the great work our fantastic people are creating, among media owners, clients, prospects and influencers. We couldn’t be happier that she is joining us and I’m sure she will help our stories and our client’s successes be even more widely heard.” Billings added: “This is a really exciting time to be joining MEC, which continues to drive growth for the industry, its clients and its people. I'm really looking forward to supporting its ambition to do great work, through inspiring ideas by focusing on its people and culture.”
The Royals
Michaela Futcher joins The Royals as planning director, based out the Sydney office. Futcher recently departed Droga 5 after nearly four years as senior strategic planner, and most recently strategy director. She is a much-respected and awarded planner having won gongs for her work on Tiger Beer, Qantas and United Nations. She drinks tea, speaks Mandarin and can draw. Andrew Reeves takes up the role of communications director in Melbourne, bringing with him extensive experience in creative and media agencies alike, including most recently, Naked. His concoction of communication and brand thinking will have him cracking integrated problems across a range of Royals clients. Andrew is good at both Powerpoint and Keynote and signs up to betas for everything.
Michaela Futcher joins The Royals as planning director, based out the Sydney office
Strategic partner Dave King, said: “We feel privileged to have two such highly talented, strategic heads joining us at a really exciting time in The Royals’ evolution. Both could have chosen from a bunch of different places to further their careers but I think, as an agency, our ambitions aligned with theirs and they picked up on the infectious enthusiasm that exudes from a creative agency in a time of real momentum. Combined with our existing strategy resources it forms a pretty powerful offering to our growing Client base.”
Y&R China
Matthew Godfrey, president of Y&R Asia announced this week the appointment of Stephen Drummond as chairman and chief strategy officer of Y&R China. Drummond will cover offices in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, with a broad leadership remit focusing on strategy as the foundation behind Y&R's creativity. A creative communications leader with over 25 years’ experience on both client and agency sides, plus extensive China understanding gained since the mid-1990s, Drummond returns to Y&R after four years with Coca-Cola.
Stephen Drummond has been appointed as chairman and chief strategy officer of Y&R China
Commenting on the appointment, Godfrey said: “It’s great to welcome Stephen Drummond back to Y&R in China, where his balance of agency- and client-side experience is unparalleled.” Drummond added: “Having started my advertising career as a graduate trainee at Y&R it’s great to be coming home.” His appointment is effective 1st July 2015.
