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VMLY&R has hired Fred Saldanha as global CCO on the Colgate-Palmolive account.
Saldanha will lead creative out of VMLY&R’s New York office while working closely with Red Fuse Communications CEO Carl Hartman, reporting to VMLY&R global CCO Debbi Vandeven. He arrives at the agency from Arnold in Boston, where he has spent the last year and a half as executive creative director leading creative on accounts including Barclays, PUR and Kaplan University.
“Fred brings global insights and proven creative leadership to our Colgate-Palmolive business,” Vandeven said in a statement. “He has deep expertise in running integrated campaigns for clients spanning worldwide markets, and we are so excited for him to bring his bold and compelling creative thinking to our client roster.”
Saldanha’s global perspective was informed by working out of locations including New York, Boston, Lisbon, London and São Paulo for agencies including W+K, Y&R, DDB, FCB, Grey, Ogilvy and Isobar, where he served as CCO for the Americas. Over the course of his career, he has been awarded more than 40 Cannes Lions while working with brands including Coca-Cola, Fiat, Forbes, Hellmann’s, Monster.com, Motorola and Sprite.
“I love it when a group as relevant as this one, managing so many global brands, operates with an entrepreneurial attitude,” Saldanha said in a statement. “Always hungry, fearless, never taking anything for granted, and constantly looking for a less expected way to connect people with brands. This has always been my creative approach, so the spark between us was immediate.”
Before being hired by then-recently appointed Arnold CCO Icaro Doria last March, Saldanha spent two years in New York as executive creative director with Huge, working with clients including Google, AB InBev, NBC, Nokia, Fiat Chrysler and Quicken Loans, including the agency’s first Super Bowl campaign for the financial services brand.
“Fred has been a friend for almost 20 years, and I’ll miss him as much,” Doria said. “We’re very thankful for the positive impact he’s had at Arnold—impact that will stay with us for a long time. We’re looking forward to watching him do great things in his next adventure.”
Max Geraldo, who joined Arnold from We Are Unlimited as executive creative director last June, will continue leading work alongside Doria on accounts he previously shared with Saldanha.
