Exclusive: Virtue Hires Ogilvy Alum as First Global Chief Growth Officer

Vice's in-house creative agency, Virtue, has brought in a veteran leader to lead global business efforts as it pursues further growth. Virtue has hired Suresh Raj as global chief growth officer, responsible for new global business efforts, as it reinvents its agency model. The appointment follows Vice Media Group's (VMG) acquisition of Pltfmr and cofounders Chris Garbutt and Colin Mitchell's entry into creative leadership roles within VMG. A shake-up of Virtue's agency model Last year, Garbutt and Mitchell, veterans of McDonald's and TBWA, founded creative consultancy Pltfmr on a talent network model. Their arrivals to Vice Media Group as CCO, chief innovation officer and co-presidents of Virtue reflect a shake-up of Virtue's agency model. The agency managed to bring in some new business during a difficult year for many creative agencies to attract new clients. Last May, Virtue won lead creative duties for Cholula Hot Sauce. Raj previously served as chief business development officer at Vision7, part of of parent company BlueFocus International, where he helped drive growth strategies for the network, bringing in opportunities with clients like Alibaba, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Nike, Samsung and Tencent Gaming. Prior to joining Vision7, he held senior growth roles at MHP Communications, Ogilvy and Zeno Group. In the newly-created role, Raj will be based out of New York and report to Mitchell, who serves as VMG co-president and Virtue chief innovation officer. He will also work closely with Virtue Americas managing director Krystle Watler, with a focus on operations in North America. In a further reflection of it growth ambitions, Vice Media Group recently hired Nadja Bellan-White as CMO. "Suresh is a really exciting addition to our Virtue family," Watler said in a statement. "Not only does he bring incredible growth experience that will help take our business to the next level, but he shares with me and the rest of our team, an incredible passion for diversity, inclusion and equality, both within the industry and outside." A track record of supporting DEI Raj has a track record of contributing to and supporting DEI-related causes both within and outside the organizations, something he said he plans to continue at Virtue. He is a founding member of The Collective, which includes senior LGBTQ+ leaders across the private sector, government and politics and non-government organizations, as well as an inaugural member of The Alliance, McKinsey's global network of senior LGBTQ+ leaders, and a global mentor for global diversity and inclusion network INvolve. "While I'm being brought in for my experience and skills in helping grow business, I will continue to stay committed to both my personal and professional efforts in supporting DEI causes and will add my voice and support in everything Virtue and Vice continues to do in this space," Raj told Adweek. "The work environment is only ever successful if we bring our authentic selves each day, so in that capacity, Virtue and Vice provides me the platform to be myself and have my voice heard and acted upon," he added. Raj said he was attracted to the role because of Virtue's commitment to diversity and equity, as well as the disruptive, purpose-driven cultural positioning of the agency within Vice Media Group. That doesn't mean Virtue won't be without its challenges as it aims to compete against more established legacy agencies for new business, however. "Despite being at the epicenter of Vice Media Group, Virtue is still relatively young in North America and in some other regions, and with that comes the need to build our credibility, relevance and presence," Raj told Adweek. "Our secret sauce is our teams of seasoned industry experts and game changers, so despite a relatively new front door, our (virtual) halls are filled with seasoned wise strategists, creatives and client leads that know how to build culturally relevant brands for today and the future." Raj outlined five short and long-term goals for his role: diversifying Virtue's client portfolio; acquiring blue-chip clients, disruptor brands and government assignments; winning clients that result in the creation of category-defining and award-winning work; continuing to deliver purpose-driven work that drives business results and continuing to create work which inspires teams internally. Vice Media Group Is Finally Holding Itself Accountable to DEI