Ogilvy Names Head of Content Strategy

Jonathan Sackett is taking his digital chops to Ogilvy & Mather.

After 14 months as chief digital officer at DDB in Chicago, Sackett is assuming a North American role at Ogilvy: managing director of content strategy. The position is new and designed to help marketers develop new channels for building their brands.

At his new agency, Sackett, 42, will report to North American chief creative officer Steve Simpson and regional chairman John Seifert.

In a statement, Simpson said Sackett believes that “great creative ideas come from everyone. We think this point of view will help elevate our work across all formats and disciplines.” Added Seifert: “We expect him to have real impact on our solutions for clients.”

Ogilvy’s top accounts include IBM, American Express, Unilever and UPS.

Before DDB, Sackett held digital leadership roles at The Martin Agency, Arnold and Draftfcb. Ogilvy, a unit of WPP Group, is his fifth agency in five years [1]. 

DDB isn’t going to fill Sackett’s post. Instead, Chicago, under CEO Peter McGuinness, is adding digital specialists to all departments. About 40 of the office’s 375 staffers are primarily known for their digital work, according to McGuinness.

DDB North American president Mark O’Brien recruited Sackett to the Omnicom Group shop. At the time [2], O’Brien said Sackett would recruit talent, build platforms, develop work and contribute to new business pitches. Beyond CDO, he also held the title of managing director.