What’s up at INNOCEAN’s Huntington Beach office? It’s the beginning of a new phase.
The agency recently gained an EVP/former Doner president in California and appointed new CEOs for both the U.S. and Europe.
Now the office has parted ways with its executive creative director Greg Braun.
From a spokesperson:
“Under Greg’s leadership, INNOCEAN USA has amassed a number of award winning campaigns. We’re proud of the creative direction he has steered for the agency, and we wish him the greatest success in his next chapter. While we search for his successor, the agency will be bolstered by CEO Steve Jun, EVP, Managing Director Tim Blett and INNOCEAN Worldwide’s newly appointed Global CCO Jeremy Craigen as our US outpost enters this new phase.”
Braun has a lengthy history in the agency world with a particular focus on auto clients. Before joining INNOCEAN in 2012 (former ECD Jeff Spiegel left to start his own freelance operation), Braun was ECD and co-president of Team Detroit. In earlier positions he worked on Lincoln at Y&R, Toyota at Saatchi & Saatchi L.A. and Hillary Clinton’s senatorial campaign(!) at DeVito/Verdi. He also spent time at EnergyBBDO and Fallon.
Jeremy Craigen, mentioned in the quote above, joined INNOCEAN as top global creative back in June after 25 years at DDB, where he ran Volkswagen; his departure allegedly stemmed from global CCO Amir Kassaei’s decision to move that account from London to adam&eveDDB Germany.
Sources close to the matter tell us that Braun’s departure from INNOCEAN was a side effect of the recent executive turnover and that the decision was not mutual.
Expect hiring announcements to follow.