- David Gianatasio

LONDON In a move the Havas-owned shop is touting as one of its biggest hires in recent years, Euro RSCG has hired multi-award-winning exec Fernanda Romano for the new role of global creative director for digital and experiential advertising.
 
This represents a new role at the agency, at which she'll collaborate with Euro RSCG's creative departments worldwide from her base in London.
 
Romano's start date hasn't been set, but after about six months, Euro RSCG intends to launch a startup unit with her at the helm. That unit will coordinate efforts across all disciplines and geographies, the agency said.
 
Romano is global ecd on the Nokia business at WPP Group's JWT in London, where she has also contributed to efforts for Cadbury, Kellogg, Unilever, HSBC, Diageo and Nestle. She joined JWT in February 2008.
 
The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native began her ad career in 1998 and worked at various Internet firms before joining DM9DDB in 2002, where she rose to director of other media and special projects. Working for various clients, her team from DM9DDB won numerous Cyber Lions at the Cannes Lions Festival in 2004 and '05, including a Cyber Grand Prix (for Loctite Super Bonder) and interactive agency of the year prize in the latter year.
 
She then became ecd at Lowe in New York, moving to Lowe in Madrid, Spain, in 2007 to head up its Lola group that focuses on international campaigns, where she helped win the pitch for Unilever's global ice cream business.

Of that pitch, she said: "It was an incredible experience. I led a team, worked into Fernando Vega Olmos, who was then chairman of Lola and CCO for Unilever at Lowe and it was intense. But I didn't win it alone. We were a team of people all passionate about it and very hungry for the business. So winning it was a major reward and it is the equivalent of having won a major award."

Euro RSCG now looks for her to translate that intensity into improved creative and new business once she takes up her new role.