Several months after departing his former role as president and CEO of DDB New York, Chris Brown has landed at R/GA.
The 20-year Omnicom veteran takes on a new title at a new agency within a new holding company: svp, group managing director. He joins the New York office’s leadership team and effectively succeeds Robin Forbes, who was promoted to vp, managing director last August.
In a statement, Forbes cited Brown’s “impressive record of client advocacy, leading successful teams, and delivering impactful work that drives business success,” adding, “We look forward to watching the work and culture evolve under Chris’s leadership.”
Brown was previously an Omnicom man all the way. The Australian native started his career at BMP DDB in London before working for that agency’s offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Manhattan. He led the New York office for nearly five years and helped pick up several pieces of new business including Henkel, Time Warner Cable, and Heineken.
He also worked on a strategic partnership with GLAAD and served on the AEF board.
Brown left DDB late last year as the agency went through a major leadership shakeup, removing nearly all of the C-suite from New York and cementing its center of power in Chicago. This came a couple of months after former Tribal Worldwide CEO Paul Gunning moved into the U.S. president and COO role.
At R/GA, he will oversee a major group in partnering with “a diverse set of clients” including, most significantly, Samsung.
“The breadth and depth of capabilities is impressive and the ability to deliver ‘transformation at speed’ is a compelling proposition in today’s dynamic business landscape,” Brown said of his new employer.