People like snacks. And, most of the time, snacks are just as satisfying as a meal. Admit it, you ate an entire bag of Tapatio Doritos once and skipped dinner. And it was ok because the snacks were delightful.
We are aware that this is a weird analogy, but it serves as what we believe is an apt entree into a little roundup of some of the moves coming from around the industry.
So without ado being furthered (credit: Richard Ayoade), enjoy this look at some talented people moving around and other agency news of note.
Cartwright
Cartwright has been on a tear of late, snapping up some nifty biz. As such, it makes sense that some new blood enters the mix in L.A. as the Grey-backed shop enters 2021.
Thiago Gripp and Suzanne Sherwood join the agency as creative directors. Gripp also takes on the role of head of art, and worked as a freelancer at the likes of Media Arts Lab and R/GA. Previous ports of call include 12 years in Brazil at Cheil Brazil, Ogilvy and others. Sherwood, a graduate and copywriting instructor at the Art Center College of Design, was a senior creative at TBWA\Chiat\Day and spent time at MullenLowe and Taxi.
Taylor Whitelow, copywriter and Chelsea Ceasor, design and art director, jumped over from 72andSunny. Whitelow was a 360i intern, and Ceasor, a MAIP scholar, was a production designer at Fjord.
Critical Mass
Calgary-founded agency Critical Mass made 15 promotions in its executive ranks. Andrea Lennon steps in as president and Sara Anhorn becomes chief talent officer.
Lennon was evp, managing director in London and drove growth across APAC and the EU.
“I’m excited to have this opportunity and continue the great work [incoming CEO] Chris [Gokiert] has created over the last decade,” she said. “Despite a challenging year, we are entering 2021 with tremendous momentum and an ambitious agenda to do incredible things for our people and our clients.”
Anhorn has been at Critical Mass for 20 years and is tasked with overseeing HR, talent acquisition, learning and development, internal comms and more.
On the moves, Gokiert said: “Andrea is the natural choice as the next president of Critical Mass and Sara brings a unique style and eye to attracting top talent to Critical Mass. Both have hybrid qualities as leaders and collaborators with a penchant for bringing together diverse, creative and bold leaders to tap into transformational creativity and purposeful growth.”
In addition to these two hires, the agency added an svp layer for further promotions and growth.
Engine Shop
Marketing agency Engine Shop has a new CEO. Christopher Handy, who previously served as president, succeeds Brian Gordon.
Handy join Engine Shop, which was acquired by Bruin Sports Capital five years ago, in 2010. According to the agency, he’s “played a pivotal role in the company’s evolution from an event-centric activation agency to a strategic, integrated engagement marketing agency with expertise in problem solving, content creation and measurement across all cultural touchpoints such as sports, music, entertainment, gaming and esports.”
“Chris is the right person at the right time to take over the leadership of Engine Shop,” George Pyne, founder and CEO of Bruin Sports Capital, said in a statement. “He is an exceptional leader who inspires the best in people by fostering a collaborative, ideas-driven culture. Chris has also been way ahead of the curve on the fundamental shifts to the strategies and tactics that marketers can leverage to create genuine, measurable value for their brands and businesses. We are excited about his plans for the agency, and he will have the full support of Bruin’s global resources to realize that vision.”
Green the Bid
Grassroots initiative Green the Bid—supporting the ad biz in shifting to zero-waste, carbon-neutral, sustainable and regenerative practices—announced its new advisory board.
A raft of familiar agencies and brands dot the list of the org founded by Kat Friis, a trio of “Ks”—Michael Kaliski, Julian Katz and Gabi Kay—and Jesse Nagel, and includes:
- Andrea Bakacs, Senior Art Producer, Wieden+Kennedy Portland
- Leah Bernthal, Founder, Every Purpose
- Laura Busino, Head of Content Production, Ford Motor Company
- Pamala Buzick, Co-Founder, poolhouse
- Yvette Cobarrubias, Co-Founder + Managing Partner, Cosmo Street Editorial
- Jo Coombes, Founder + Project Lead, AdGreen
- Antoinette de Lisser, Head of New Business, The Progress Film Company
- Tricia Duffy, Founder, Lily Grey
- Sean French, VP of Sales, Quixote
- Bonnie Goldfarb, Co-Founder, Harvest Films
- Matt Hunnicutt, Executive Director of Production, Wieden+Kennedy Portland
- Ari Kuschnir, Founder, M ss ng P eces
- Ariel Leon Isacovitch, Managing Partner/EP, The Roots
- Daniel Marin, Head of Production, Joan Creative; President, Joan Studios
- Lisa Mehling, Owner, Chelsea Pictures
- Gloria Pitagorsky, Partner, Heard City
- Carol Pock, Sustainability Knowledge Lead, APR
- Shelby Ross, Executive Producer, Sibling Rivalry
“W+K Portland is partnering with Green The Bid as the next step in our environmental journey to help bring greater transparency to the industry and share resources towards a movement that will empower agencies, brands, and production companies alike, in formulating regenerative, healthy, and sustainable practices together,” said W+K’s Bakacs. “We couldn’t be more excited to be part of shaping not just the work we make, but how we make it.”
Healthline Media
While not an agency, per se, Faye McCray‘s appointment at Healthline Media—America’s top health publisher—is impressive. McCray joins as editor-in-chief of PsychCentral.com, a site about psychology and mental health issues.
McCray’s background in very diverse and highlights include her serving as:
- A disability lawyer for the Social Security Administration from 2009-19
- A contributing writer for Huffington Post, Parade, and AARP Magazine
- A TV Editor and Culture Writer at the online multimedia publisher Black Girl Nerds
- The Editor-in-Chief of Weemagine, an online magazine dedicated to celebrating and inspiring excellence in children of color
- The Editor-in-Chief with Tax Notes, the leading non-partisan publisher of tax information
“I pursued Healthline because it’s a purpose-driven company that provides evidence-based information for people to make the best decisions about their health and wellbeing,” said McCray. “Also, we mutually value truth and honesty in journalism.”
Hear, hear.
Yard Dog
From time to time, we pop in some news about directors, and this seems a very good get from Yard Dog.
Award-winning filmmaker Ky Dickens joins the roster for advertising projects on the East and West coasts (she’s repped in the Midwest by Story). Past clients include Hallmark, Hershey’s, Huggies, Kellogg’s, Kohler, McDonald’s and Tylenol.
During the pandemic, Dickens created a series of shorts for Amgen. Shot in Mississippi, Connecticut and Maryland, the films profile women battling breast cancer.
She also directed short documentaries for the American Cancer Society and Betty & Smith, Washington, DC, centering on challenges faced by small-town hospitals.
“We filmed doctors at hospitals in rural America that are on the brink of collapse,” said Dickens. “It was very meaningful to me, especially during Covid. It’s the type of real-time documentary that I especially enjoy.”