DDB NY Names New Head of Production

By Patrick Coffee 

madison whartonDDB’s New York office continued to fulfill its earlier promise that “big changes” were coming in 2015 by hiring Madison Wharton as its new chief production officer.

After Chris Brown took over CEO duties last September, he hired Icaro Doria of W+K Sao Paulo to lead creative for the agency’s Manhattan office and — in a move that proved somewhat controversial to our readers — named Hannah Fishman, previously with PR agency Edelman, as GCD and content director.

Wharton left Momentum for Barbarian Group in August 2012 after spending two years with the former agency and developing production processes later adopted by its various US and UK offices; she previously worked under Dave Rolfe as senior production manager at CP+B. In the new role, she will be “responsible for creating a new operational model and new capabilities for the integrated needs of the agency.”

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In the release, Doria says that Wharton “has done amazing things everywhere she’s worked” and Brown calls her “A-list talent” who will “add real value to the leadership team.”

Wharton reports directly to Brown. No word on Barbarian’s plans to replace her.

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