DNA Expands Creative Leadership Team

By Erik Oster 

Seattle-based agency DNA expanded its creative leadership team with the arrivals of three new hires.

Steve Williams (pictured above) joins DNA as co-executive creative director, following a stint of around two years as a freelance creative director and copywriter. The move reunites Williams with his former creative partner, executive creative director Scott Fero.

Prior to going freelance, Williams spent over 11 years with Publicis Seattle, most recently serving as senior vice president, group creative director and copywriter. During his time with Publicis, Williams worked with brands including T-Mobile, Visit Seattle, American Girl, Eddie Bauer, Ore-Ida and Ball Park Franks. Before joining Publicis he spent around five years at Ogilvy & Mather Los Angeles as associate creative director and copywriter.

Advertisement

“We have been big fans of Steve’s for a long time and being able to bring him on to help lead our growing creative department is a coup for the agency,” DNA co-founder and chairman Dan Gross said in a statement. “We’ve been able to add some great new talent over the past few months, and it’s already making a difference not just in our work, but in the culture here.”

“Freelance has been great, but I wanted to eventually find a permanent home that cared about creative ideas and the people who make them. DNA is building something exciting, and I’m fired up to jump in with them,” Williams added.

DNA also welcomed two creative directors to help run day-to-day creative operations for the creative department.

Noel Nickol (pictured left) joins DNA from Rokkan in New York, where he spent the past two and a half years working as a creative director, focusing on the “Dare Greatly” campaign for Cadillac while working with other brands including Verizon, The Humane Society and Hallmark. Prior to joining Rokkan, Nickol spent over three and a half years as an associate creative director with Leo Burnett, working with clients such as AvisBudget Group, Fifth Third Bank, Shriner’s Hospitals for Children and Lurie Children’s Hospital, as well as new business efforts.

Jon Lazar (pictured right) arrives at the agency from Vitro in San Diego, where he spent nearly a year and a half as a creative director. Before joining Vitro, Lazar spent around five years freelancing with agencies such as 72&Sunny, Pereira & O’Dell, Barton F. Graf and Leo Burnett, working with brands including Adidas, Dos Equis, Sprint, YouTube, Square, Fox Sports and United Airlines.

“What each of these talented creatives bring to DNA are successful integrated ideas that have broken ground in multiple channels for national and regional clients” DNA co-founder and CEO Alan Brown said in a statement. “With our reinvigorated creative, strategy and planning departments, DNA is well positioned to bring our clients new marketplace solutions that will drive results.”

The new hires follow the arrival of Christine Wise as chief strategy officer last month.

Advertisement