Translation welcomed Patrick Lafferty as president, with founder and CEO Steve Stoute tasking him with the day-to-day leadership of the agency.
“This is a big milestone for Translation,” Stoute said in a statement. “We’ve consistently created culture-driving, business-building work with our clients. Completing our executive team and attracting a leader like Pat is a game changer. Translation and our partners will immediately benefit from Pat’s one-of-a-kind combination of world-class creative, media, CMO and military experience.”
Lafferty joins Translation from BBH, where he has served as CEO, North America since 2013. The CEO and chief creative officer Ari Weiss both announced their pending departures last month, though it’s not yet clear where Weiss is going.
Prior to joining BBH, Lafferty spent nearly three years with McCann, first as managing director, global brand community with McCann Worldgroup and then as COO, North America for McCann Erickson. He’s also worked in cable TV as chief marketing officer for the Travel Channel and senior vice president of marketing at Discovery Communications. Before going client-side, Lafferty spent over nine years with Leo Burnett, as an account supervisor on McDonald’s and Kellogg’s and then senior vice president, account director on the U.S. Army account.
“Translation is an independent agency built with culture at its core,” said Lafferty. “Brands today are either authentic, cultural instigators or they’re invisible. Inspired by Steve, Translation uniquely provides clients the most talented and diverse team of storytellers, geeks, renegades and entrepreneurs I’ve ever seen.”
The most recent big-name project from Translation was the Emmys Apple Music spot starring James Corden.