San Francisco-based independent agency Cutwater welcomed Ronny Northrop as its first executive creative director. In the role he will partner with chief creative officer Chuck McBride to drive agency growth and continue to develop its creative team.
Northrop joins Cutwater from gyro San Francisco, where he has served as executive creative director since joining the agency from Y&R in November of 2015 and led the agency’s global HP account. He joined Y&R California, initially in a freelance capacity, in February of 2014 and was promoted to chief creative officer less than a year later. Prior to joining Y&R he spent over five and a half years as a creative director and copywriter with Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, working with clients including Anheuser-Busch, HP and Sprint. Prior to that he served as a copywriter for CP+B and worked with brands such as Burger King, Virgin Atlantic and IKEA.
“Ronny’s hybrid experience and creative thinking really stood out to us as we looked for someone to fill this role,” McBride said in a statement. “At this stage in our growth, we knew we needed someone who not only had a stellar creative portfolio under their belt, but who also understood how to develop an agency. On top of having those qualities, Ronny’s an incredible mentor to emerging talent and an all around nice guy. He’ll be a huge asset to both our clients and our culture.”
“I’ve been a longtime fan of Cutwater’s work, so the chance to finally join forces was a no-brainer,” Northrop added. “The agency is at a pivotal moment in its growth – both in the collection of amazing talent it’s amassed, as well as in its impressive client roster, and I’m looking forward to helping steer Cutwater into this next phase.”