Full-service Publicis agency Rokkan strengthened the creative leadership team at its New York headquarters by signing SVP/ECDs Laura Mulloy and Michael Ma.
“Bringing Laura and Michael on board now represents a sea change at Rokkan, where their skills and expertise are necessary in order for us to bring next level creative work to our clients,” said Rokkan CCO Brian Carley. “In the future, the best digital experiences will require provocative storytelling and traditional creative mediums will crave immersive and engaging interactivity. Laura and Michael will spearhead the teams that will uncover the places where these two overlap.”
This announcement follows the April departure of founding partner and chief creative officer Charles Bae, who left after 15 years to launch his own operation. The network’s Los Angeles office also recently named a new general manager/business director and two new creative leaders.
Mulloy will be tasked with leading “360 creative” work for global accounts including Hallmark, Veuve Clicquot, William Grant & Sons and The Humane Society. She joins Rokkan after a freelance stint that followed her departure from Saatchi & Saatchi New York, where she worked with clients including General Mills, Tide and Dreft and got promoted to executive creative director at the beginning of 2014. Before that she served stints as a copywriter with Butler Shine Stern & Partners and 180LA.
“In a time when a lot of agencies are struggling to find their way, Rokkan has managed to reinvent itself while also staying true to its original values,” said Mulloy. “I’m looking forward to being an agent for that change and continuing to push creative boundaries with the incredible team that Rokkan has assembled.”
In his position, Ma will help oversee creative for clients such as Cadillac, JetBlue, American Express and Samsung. He joins the agency from Barbarian Group, where he most recently served as head of design and managing group creative director. He led visual design for clients including General Electric, Samsung, Pepsi, IBM, AOL, Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Red Bull and Tommy Hilfiger.
“Rokkan is experiencing immense all-around growth right now–it’s an exciting time to be joining the agency,” Ma said. “I’m looking forward to continuing what Rokkan has started and contributing to its evolution.”