New GCD and More at DDB New York

By Patrick Coffee 

ddb ny hires

L to R: Hannah Fishman, Yael Cesarkas, Chris Brown, and Joel Nagy

The “big changes” promised by DDB New York back in November keep coming.

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After naming Icaro Doria of W+K São Paulo as its chief creative officer last month, the agency has hired another top creative and a couple more new staffers.

Hannah Fishman will be group creative director and content director. As if to further prove that agencies across the board now fish in the same talent pond, she joins DDB from PR giant Edelman, where she spent more than six years as a VP/creative director. During that time, she worked on digital campaigns for clients such as Samsung, Dove, AXE, and Pfizer.

Her career trajectory is unlike that of other creative directors: before moving into the agency world, she held design positions at Everyday Health, Borders, and the DaimlerChrysler Corporation.

She also doesn’t seem to maintain an online portfolio…

In addition to Fishman, the agency hired Yael Cesarkas as planning director and Joel Nagy as director of digital innovation.

Cesarkas most recently spent nearly four years in planning at R/GA — she joined the shop as senior brand planner and was promoted to associate planning director last January. Cesarkas, who perpetual crank George Tannenbaum calls “everything a planner should be,” will primarily work on strategy for the ExxonMobil account.

Nagy, who has a software background, will specialize in “the development of digital solutions” for DDB clients. Past roles include that of tech director at KBS+ and iris worldwide.

All three will report to the “new leadership team” of Doria and Chris Brown, the former CEO of DDB Australia who moved stateside back in June.

The agency’s most recent work was this ad promoting the NBA All Star Game in New York; expect to see more campaigns soon.

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