Back in high school, Richard Ward knew that he wanted to work in advertising.
“I was attracted to the idea of creatively and persuasively selling products,” Ward said. “I was fascinated by the strategy behind it.”
His 30-year career has included top management positions in the traditional advertising business and digital marketing, which gave him skills that helped land his new gig as CEO of WestWayne, an independent Atlanta shop with nearly $500 million in annual billings.
“My desire is to bring the best practices of the digital space to the traditional agency,” the 50-year-old Ward said.
Ben West, chairman of the shop, said that philosophy put Ward ahead of the other finalists in his six-month search to replace Jeff Johnson, who left in August.
“We know how important the digital space has become, and we wanted someone with experience in it,” West said.
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