Deutsch New York CEO Val DiFebo announced the appointment of Andrew Dawson as partner and chief strategy officer, effective March 28.
Dawson had been working with Deutsch as a freelance strategist and consultant on existing clients and new business efforts since February. Prior to that, he served a short stint as chief strategy officer for Johannes Leonardo following a little over a year as a freelance strategist and consultant in the New York area. Dawson also spent a year serving as chief creative officer with luxury audio company Master & Dynamic, where his responsibilities included a mix of duties normally associated with both CCO and CMO roles in which he oversaw in-house creative and led the brand’s own copywriting efforts. He has also served in strategy director roles for Sylvain Labs and strategic consultancy Undercurrent in addition to spending time as an associate planning director for R/GA, strategic planner for McCann Erickson and account planner for Draftfcb. Throughout his time in the agency world, he has worked with clients including Chobani, Victoria’s Secret, Johnson & Johnson, Pepsi, E-Trade, Land Rover, Levi’s and Walmart.
“Anyone who has worked with Andrew, as we have over the years, will tell you his business acumen combined with his creativity makes him a real game changer. He’s a thought leader, motivator, and wicked smart,” said DiFebo. “We’re excited to have him joining us in one of the most critical positions within the agency. It’s clear that creative business, and business in general, is his passion and it inspires a lifestyle that he truly loves.”
“Deutsch is at a real turning point and I’m excited to be joining such a collaborative and progressive team, one intent on evolving the model of how we impact our client’s business,” added Dawson.
Deutsch’s New York office also promoted Shobha Sairam from the role of executive vice president, group planning director to executive vice president, director of planning. Sairam joined the agency in 2012, leading strategy on J&J’s Acuvue and Green Giant after spending time with agencies including Leo Burnett and Mother, where she worked with clients such as Coca-Cola, Kraft, Heineken, JC Penney and Liz Claiborne.