Deutsch appointed Rachel Mercer as vice president, digital strategy director, effective May 31. This marks the latest addition to a “re-invigorated” team at the agency’s New York office.
In the new role, Mercer will be tasked with growing the agency’s digital, social and innovation strategy practice and will report directly to New York chief strategy officer Andrew Dawson, who was hired back in March. She replaces Scott Lindenbaum, who is transferring to the Los Angeles office as senior vice president, director of digital strategy, products and platforms, effective June 6.
Mercer arrives at Deutsch from London innovation studio The Upside, where she has served as strategy and innovation director since last October, working with clients including Google and adidas. Prior to The Upside, she spent nearly a year and a half at fellow London innovation studio Made by Many, where she worked with clients such as V&A, Expedia, Hackaball and World Economic Forum. Before that she served an earlier stint at Deutsch, working as an invention strategist and then senior strategist, digital and invention, out of the agency’s Los Angeles office for about two years. During that time she worked with brands including Target, Nintendo, Taco Bell, Volkswagen and Esurance.
Mercer’s arrival is the latest in a string of new hires for Deutsch and follows on the heels of the New York office hiring Maggie O. Connors arriving as executive vice president/head of business development last week. Other recent hires include those of partner/chief technology officer Trevor O’Brien and CSO Dawson along with ECD Pete Johnson (formerly with Arnold) and partner/chief creative officer Dan Kelleher (formerly with KBS) on the creative side.
“Rachel’s talent was so immediate, my first thought was, I wish she started yesterday,” said Dawson in a statement, citing her “diverse strategic experience” and her status as a “genuinely multifaceted thinker, collaborator and leader.”