Near the end of May, CHI&Partners Chief Creative Officer Jonathan Burley left the agency after six years in the position. It was unclear at the time where Burley was heading following his departure, but now Campaign reports he will be joining RKCR/Y&R, where he will also serve as CCO. In the role, Burley will be responsible for RKCR/Y&R’s creative department across the agency’s roster of U.K. clients, which includes the BBC and Marks & Spencer, while reporting to CEO Jon Sharpe.
Burley first joined CHI&Partners as CCO in May of 2010, after over five years as a group executive creative director with Leo Burnett, where he worked with brands including McDonald’s and Kellogg. That followed seven years as a creative director with HHCL + Partners.
“Jonathan Burley is smart, straight-talking and possesses a brilliant creative mind,” Sharpe told Campaign. “He has an undeniable track record in new business, a ridiculously impressive collection of creative awards to his name and was the outstanding choice to lead our creative department and help us build the businesses of both new and existing clients with culturally relevant, exciting and innovative creative ideas.”
Additionally, RKCR/Y&R executive creative director Mark Roalfe will now serve as chairman and focus on the agency’s global accounts, such as Colgate and Danone (marketed in the U.S. as Dannon).