The Community has tapped Matthew Kline to deepen the Publicis Groupe-owned creative agency’s global client roster as its new executive director, growth and partnerships, effective immediately.
Kline comes to The Community from Anomaly, which has gone through a fair amount of disruption since the start of 2020. The New York-based ad agency parted ways with CCO Eric Segal in February, went through a round of layoffs in March, and implemented one- to three-month furloughs, salary reductions and reduced work schedules in April due to the economic impacts of Covid-19. As Anomaly’s business development director, Kline contributed to new client wins including Abbott Diabetes Care, Huda Beauty, Microsoft and NBCUniversal’s Peacock.
At The Community’s New York office, Kline will oversee all areas of business development and public relations and will report directly to president Luis Montero. Per a statement released by the culturally conscious agency, though Kline’s appointment has “been in the works for several months,” his onboarding process will occur virtually in light of the pandemic.
“Matt has a history of helping brands become more commercial by listening to consumers,” Montero added in the statement. “His cultural sensibility undoubtedly aligns with our agency’s ethos and will serve as an invaluable tool in the weeks ahead.”
Along with his two-and-a-half-year stint at Anomaly, Kline has 15 years of agency experience in business development, client services and talent representation. For five of those years, the University of Michigan grad established client relationships at Zambezi with the likes of Adidas, Cox Automotive and Foot Locker.
“The Community embodies a constantly evolving notion of culture. I’ve always admired how it moves seamlessly between multicultural and general market, breaking down the distinction between those two spheres,” Kline said in the statement.
Founded by brothers José and Joaquín Mollá, The Community began operating in 2001 and was acquired by Publicis Groupe in 2014. Throughout its 19-year run, the Miami-based agency has opened four offices in three countries and has won 11 Grand Prix awards. In January, The Community appointed Frank Cartagena as the New York office’s CCO.