Deutsch LA has added three members to its leadership team, including Ogilvy’s former head of brand strategy and planning in the U.S., Jason Lonsdale, who is now Deutsch LA’s new chief strategy officer.
The IPG agency also added Emily Hodkins as evp, head of corporate communications, and Linda Kim, svp, head of digital production.
“Jason, Emily and Linda are proven leaders, storytellers and problem solvers. They each bring their own unique style to the table, much like we do at Deutsch LA,” Kim Getty, Deutsch LA CEO, said in a statement. “For these leadership roles, we were looking for people that would challenge us in the most interesting ways. Their vision will be instrumental as we continue Deutsch LA’s business and creative momentum in 2021 on the heels of record growth in 2020.”
In the CSO role, Lonsdale will be responsible for overseeing the agency’s strategy practice, driving collaboration across creative, data, media, UX and design. The New Zealand native has held positions around the globe over the last 20 years, including New York, London, Toronto, and Sydney, and most recently in New York with Ogilvy. Prior to Ogilvy, Lonsdale was a consulting chief strategy officer for a variety of brands and agencies, and also served as chief strategy officer of Mekanism in New York.
“I am beyond thrilled to be joining the wonderful leadership team at Deutsch LA. We share a vision for strategy that is firmly rooted in humanity and audience-centricity, and the importance of being culturally attuned. I was immediately drawn to the people-first nature of the agency, as I strongly believe that openness and collaboration are key to creativity and success,” Lonsdale said in a statement.
Lonsdale will report to Getty, as will Hodkins, who is tasked with heading up Deutsch LA’s external communications, helping to tell the agency’s story. She most recently served as vice president of marketing and communications at Elephant, where she led agency marketing and communications efforts across offices from Los Angeles to San Francisco, New York and London. Previous to that, Hodkins led agency communications for Anomaly, Droga5 and 72andSunny.
Kim will lead the digital production department and will be responsible for the creation of digital content and experiences across the Deutsch LA client portfolio. She comes to the agency from RPA, where she was vp, director of digital production.
Deutsch split into two agencies, in New York and Los Angeles, late last year, allowing each to pursue clients independently without concerns about conflict of interest while leaning into individual strengths and cultures. Earlier in 2020, Deutsch LA fired CCO Brett Craig and brought back Karen Costello to replace Craig, helping to prioritize DEI in its ranks. One of the agency’s big wins in 2020 was being named agency of record for PetSmart.