About me

Francisca Maass President & CCO Grey Germany

Back in January, Maas added President to her Chief Creative Officer title in recognition of her innovative leadership, business acumen and creative power; and became the only female creative in the highest executive responsibility of a German agency.

As an innovative leader, Mass set up new team structures, by breaking down silos and relying on interdisciplinary focus teams across both Dusseldorf and Hamburg studios. That new way of operating the agency seduced not only existing clients like Volvo and P&G, but also helped win the leading German dairy group Müller Milch for the DACH region.

Due to the growing importance of design in brand building, she underwent a transformation of the design unit Grey Design, and she successfully implemented new AI-based technologies like IBM Watson to the process of CI development and Brand-Logos for the design clients.

In the male-dominated agency landscape in Germany, Francisca embodies the new generation of female leaders who break traditional patterns with flat hierarchies and creative self-confidence: "Courage is gender-neutral. I think little about whether a success occurs because I am a woman or even though I am a woman. I just do it and if possible, I encourage others to do it too."

Francisca insists on gender-neutral salaries: while others are still talking about it, she put her goal into practice and staffed 80% of the leadership team with women.

The multiple Cannes Lions juror was recognised as one of the "100 German Brains" by the leading trade magazine "Werben+Verkaufen". She is the first German to be a member of the 5-member Grey Global Creative Board, which helps shape the global network. As a mentor at the Art Directors Club Germany and OneShow, she has supported young women on their way to the top since 2021. She recently became a board member of the DA&I network of the main German agency association, GWA.

Trade Associations

Art Directors Club Germany