D&AD Blog

What's it like inside an agency?

We were really interested to read that the theme of the November issue of Creative Review is based on creative workplaces - what they look like and what people do there. http://creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2009/october/cr-november-issue.

This is something we have also been developing as part of the online resource available for tutors in our University Network and more will be available from a range of creative practitioners in the coming months. This information is great because it brings together a diverse set of experiences which can help graduates - and those more mature professionals - to decide what kind of organisation suits their individual skill set.

A new D&AD Chief Executive

We're very happy to announce that Tim O’Kennedy, brand and communications consultant and former MD of Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam, is our new Chief Executive.

Tim's career began at Saatchi & Saatchi London in the early 1980s, following which he was hired by Jay Chiat as ‘one of the first Account Planners in the US advertising industry’.  After 2 years at Wieden + Kennedy Portland steering the original ‘Just Do It’ campaign, he became International Marketing Director at Nike.  Tim returned to Europe with Nike in 1994 and later joined The Lowe Group Europe as Chief Operating Officer.  He was a founding partner of marketing agency Circus in 1998 and subsequently became Managing Director at Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam, where he remained until the end of 2007.  Tim currently serves as a non-executive director of digital creative agency Perfect Fools in Stockholm, and of communications agency Indie in Amsterdam.  He also serves as an advisor to DIESEL Industries in Molvena.

Tim says:

“I feel honoured to take the reins at this amazing organisation, which has always lived in my mind as the absolute reference for creativity in the communication arts. D&AD’s multi-disciplinary purview is a big part of the appeal for me: I grew up in the worlds of advertising and design, and have a deep-seated appreciation for both, as I do for the possibilities afforded by interactive media.

The world of communications is changing, and at an exponential rate - but it’s doing so in ways which can make D&AD more relevant than ever.  While I believe that the role of CEO is by definition multi-faceted, my most important job will be to reinforce this relevance, to further secure D&AD’s position as the standard-setter for creativity worldwide.”

While our Chairman, Anthony Simonds-Gooding says:

“Tim will bring an entrepreneurial mindset and fresh thinking to D&AD which will take the organisation into new territory.  His wealth of international experience will help cement the company’s position in an increasingly competitive global marketplace.  As a man who has circumnavigated the globe, I am sure that he will steer D&AD safely through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead ensuring that D&AD continues to be the pre-eminent award for creatives in a world where the industry terrain is changing, where brands, products and services are becoming increasingly homogenised and where creativity remains the sole differentiator to ensure business success.”

Tim's first official duty will be to welcome guests to the New Blood Private View on Monday 29 June.