Grey
Report by Jim Heekin
Chairman and chief executive officer
Our leadership team
http://grey.com/global/about/leadership
W
e ended 2015 by being named Global Agency of the Year by Adweek, for the second time in three years. The magazine wrote: “After a dominant awards season and a slew of multinational client wins, Grey is back in control.”
2015 marked our eighth year in a row of record financial and creative performance. High-profile new business wins included AT&T/DIRECTV, Emirates Airlines, Motorola, Pandora Jewelry and Procter & Gamble’s Venus, Braun and the Art of Shaving lines. Many of our current clients awarded us significant assignments including Nestlé, GSK, Eli Lilly, Vodafone, Volvo, Bausch & Lomb and Best Buy.
It proved to be a watershed year at Cannes. Our creative reputation continued to soar with the win of 113 Lions from 18 countries in four regions. Grey won in 20 categories from film, radio and outdoor to the newest disciplines of mobile, creative data and pharma. Notably, the agency took home a record four Grand Prix, a remarkable feat. The work was powered by big, non-traditional ideas that combined activation, public relations, social and digital media, true to our ‘Famously Effective’ mantra.
Our creative reputation continued to soar
Grey’s forward momentum was reflected in the performance of its flagship agencies in New York and London. Grey received the 2015 Cannes North American Network of the Year award and Grey EMEA was named the 2015 Euro Effie Agency of the Year.
We continued to enhance our leadership ranks for the future with the appointment and promotion of several talented executives pivotal to our success. Michael Houston was promoted to global president of Grey, an expanded worldwide management role. Lucy Jameson was appointed chief executive officer of Grey London and Nils Leonard, chief creative officer, added the title of chairman of that office. Andreas Dahlqvist joined Grey New York as chief creative officer. Finally, Diego Medvedocky was promoted to vice president, regional creative director of Grey Latin America.
Building on our strategic acquisitions of last year, we acquired ArcTouch, a leading mobile design and development agency in the US, and Grey nJ United, a pacesetter advertising and digital agency in Thailand. In addition, we expanded our existing resources in digital, activation, shopper and healthcare marketing.
Each and every office of Grey has been integral to our growth and success. Thanks to our people, and many of the most forward-thinking clients in the world, we are breaking new ground in brand experience across every platform creating lasting consumer connections. As our 100th anniversary beckons in 2017, our future has never been brighter.