FCB West appointed Simon White as chief strategy officer. White will relocate to California and begin the role in March, working closely with recently appointed FCB West CEO Joe Oh, chief creative officer Karin Onsager-Birch (who arrived at the agency last spring) and chairman Dominic Whittles as part of the FCB West leadership team.
White joins FCB West from FCB Inferno in London, where he has served as chief strategic officer since August of 2012, leading strategy teams behind successful pitches for BMW, Sport England and National Savings & Investments Bank and helping to develop campaigns for Nivea and Mondelez. Prior to joining FCB Inferno, White spent over a decade at Grey London. He joined Grey London as head of planning in May of 2002 and was named managing director in January of 2010. While with Grey he worked with brands including Pringles, Clairol, AOL, Febreze, Aquafresh and the British Heart Foundation. He began his career in brand management positions for Durex, Clairol and Unilever.
“When Simon and I first met, the two of us bonded instantly over a shared connection: As FCB-ers at heart, we both value the importance of creativity, entrepreneurial-led strategic thinking, and a keen understanding of human behavior and decision making to drive growth, innovation and business results for clients,” Oh said.
“Simon is that rare, one-of-a-kind planner who knows and values the impact of strategy — rooted in uncovering and deciphering human behavior — to drive positive consumer change on behalf of brands,” added FCB global chief strategy officer Nigel Jones. “This is a wonderful example of cultivating and promoting talent across our global network.”