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Wunderman Thompson has hired Rosie Bardales from BETC as chief creative officer of its flagship New York office.
Bardales will report to Tom Murphy, Wunderman Thompson’s North America creative chief, who joined the network last year from McCann. She will work closely with New York chief executive Sasan Saeidi across accounts including Coca-Cola, Nestle, Unilever, Kyndryl and FCAS.
She will also serve on Wunderman Thompson’s Global Inspiration Council, which was set up by global CCOs Bas Korsten and Daniel Bonner.
Bardales replaces Jill Applebaum, who left Wunderman Thompson last year after two years in the role.
A native Texan, Bardales will relocate back to the U.S. for the job. Bardales has spent the past eight years at BETC, first as CCO of the Paris-based agency’s London office and then as global executive creative director across both locations.
While at BETC, she oversaw work for clients such as Danone, Unilever, Reckitt, Mondelēz, Bacardi, Nike and Rimmel.
She told Adweek her greatest lesson from being a creative leader in Europe was “the world truly is a lot smaller than we think—in a good way.”
“Some of my best work relationships will carry on like I’m next door, regardless of my country code,” she continued. “As an expat working abroad you really rely on your people, plain and simple. Real connections matter.”
Prior to BETC, Bardales held stints at agencies Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam, BBH London, Mother London and Cliff Freeman & Partners in New York.
The network’s appointment of Bardales follows its hires of Renata Maia as global CCO for Wunderman Thompson Health from Area 23 and Ellie Bamford as North America chief strategy officer from R/GA earlier this year.
“There is great creative momentum-building and growth at Wunderman Thompson New York, and Rosie’s job is to turbocharge it,” Murphy said in a statement. “Her creative smarts and contagious energy make her the perfect catalyst.”
