MullenLowe U.S. has named Ricard Valero executive creative director to lead the creative at MullenLowe New York. Valero, who will report to the U.S. CEO Lee Newman, joins the agency from TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, where he was executive creative director. He will work with the agency’s leadership team—managing director Rebekah Pagis and head of strategy Jonny Gadd.
“Part of the appeal of joining MullenLowe New York is the freedom to lead the office with my own creative vision,” said Valero in a statement. “I’m allergic to everything that feels corporate in an agency, and Rebekah and Jonny are building an agency that puts creativity at the very heart of every single department. That’s the only way to deliver truly outstanding ideas: when all of us are responsible for the creative product.”
At TBWA, Valero spent the past two years leading accounts including Accenture, Facebook Portal, Mountain Dew Rise and Henkel. Previous positions for Valero include Ogilvy, Y&R Milan, DDB Europe, BBDO SF and Eleven.
“Each of our offices has its own creative lead, allowing for autonomy and each team’s unique approach to thrive. With his boundless energy and optimism, Ricard is a perfect fit for MullenLowe New York,” Newman said in a statement.
Valero has received numerous accolades for his work, and some can be seen in the permanent collections at the MoMA, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In addition to his agency role, Valero is a professor of marketing and branding at City University of New York.