Mirum, the “global company uniting 11 digital agencies spanning 17 countries and 40 offices” launched one year ago by J. Walter Thompson, plans to expand its presence in New York in 2016.
In the latest stage of that build-up, the agency poached AKQA’s Georgina Forster to serve as managing director of its Manhattan operations.
In the new role, Forster will report directly to Mirum CEO Dan Khabie, who previously served as co-founder and CEO of San Diego’s Digitaria (which was acquired by WPP in 2010). Mirum is headquartered in San Diego.
The release tells us that the “global digital agency” will become an important source of growth for the larger JWT and WPP networks and that Forster’s primary goals will be driving new business efforts and solidifying the New York office’s infrastructure. Khabie writes:
“As I look to New York to be one of our most crucial growth drivers in North America, part of that strategy is adding to our team of brilliant leadership. I’m excited to have someone with Georgina’s depth and breadth of experience; she is the kind of leader who will foster the building of innovative and collaborative culture, while also driving growth.”
“I am extremely honored to have been given this exciting opportunity to join Mirum at such an early stage in its evolution,” said Forster. “My passion has always been to create amazing work for clients, so I’m looking forward to building a great team here in New York to do that.”
Prior to joining Mirum, she served as group account director and, more recently, director of client services at AKQA New York. The release tells us that the Manhattan AKQA office more than doubled in size during her five-year tenure while signing such new clients as AmEx and Starbucks.
Her hire is the latest big move for Mirum. Over the summer, JWT ECD Frederic Bonn was named the network’s first chief creative officer, and Forster will work closely with him as well as CMO John Baker, who was previously tasked with expanding JWT’s digital capabilities as president of “dotJWT.”
Mirum’s New York office currently works with such clients as J&J, Estee Lauder, Getty and Rolex. These also happen to be J. Walter Thompson New York clients, and Forster–along with the rest of the Mirum organization–will frequently collaborate with JWT New York’s creative, new business and management teams moving forward.