Saatchi & Saatchi announced the promotion of Justin Billingsley from CEO of dynamic markets to the role of worldwide chief operating officer. He has been assigned with leading growth and performance and “transforming the capabilities of the business,” with all of the agency’s offices reporting to him, Campaign reports . Billingsley replaces Chris Foster in the role, who left last month to become senior vice-president for global clients at Publicis Groupe.
Billinglsey was promoted to the newly-created CEO of dynamic markets role at Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide in January, previously serving as chief operating officer for Saatchi & Saatchi in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) since July of 2013. He originally joined Saatchi & Saatchi as regional CEO, chairman for Greater China in May of 2009. Before joining Saatchi & Saatchi he spent nearly two years as brand marketing director for Orange U.K. Before making the jump agency side, Billingsley served in marketing manager and brand director roles for Coca Cola and as global marketing director, mobile phones for Nokia.
“Justin is a proven transformational leader for us – first in China, then in EMEA – and, in his new role, will focus on improvement in our performance globally,” Saatchi & Saatchi worldwide CEO Robert Senior told Campaign. “Justin and I have a great working partnership. It is as simple as this: we both stand in the doorway of the Saatchi & Saatchi network. From there, I tend to look outwards and Justin tends to look inwards. We need to do both in order to lift our game and achieve our purpose.”