FCB New York Hires Chief Talent Officer From Havas

Crosby will be responsible for overseeing all initiatives related to people and culture at the agency, tasked with designing programs for the attraction, retention and development of talent. She will also partner with all levels of the agency to ensure a culture of high performance, engagement and inclusion, challenges she will be navigating during the unique work dynamics presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Yoonie—an incredible change agent in the HR and talent sector—to our team in New York,” said Emma Armstrong, who joined FCB New York as president last May, in a statement. “Great people are the foundation of great agencies. It’s as simple and as hard as that. As we continue to grow through 2020 and beyond, it was essential that we find someone who can identify and nurture the very best talent. It’s a competitive advantage, and we take that extremely seriously.”

Crosby spent nearly five years as director of talent management for Havas Worldwide, where she worked to transform that position from a service model to a strategic business partnership model, and was responsible for developing Havas’ diversity and inclusion strategy. Prior to joining Havas, she spent over four years as an HR manager at Gotham Inc., followed by a brief stint as a talent acquisition specialist at The New York Post.

“Seeing how the agency has continued to innovate, especially during these challenging times, really speaks to the character of the creative minds that comprise FCB New York,” Crosby said in a statement. “I look forward to focusing on opportunities to further innovate and evolve a purpose-driven talent strategy, because the dynamics of talent-centric work are—as FCB says—’Never Finished.'”

Crosby’s arrival at FCB New York comes in the wake of a round of layoffs across Havas offices in the U.S. due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. FCB’s Chicago office went through a round of layoffs last month, following executive salary reductions and other cost-cutting measures across all FCB offices in March. FCB’s New York office, meanwhile, has actually grown its headcount substantially, according to a statement from the agency. In April, FCB New York hired Samira Ansari as executive creative director.