Grey Unveils New Leadership Team
CEO, Laura Maness, names first major hires and promotions.
Laura Maness, Grey CEO, appoints new hires and promotions.
Jason Kahner has been promoted to Global Chief Client Officer, responsible for building and growing purposeful client relationships in this new role. Jason will lead teams across geographies to deliver ‘Famously Effective’ ideas. With two decades of leadership at Grey, Jason oversees Grey’s top 20 clients globally. He adds leadership responsibility for Grey New York, following the resignation of Amber Guild former Grey New York CEO.
Thiago Cruz joins as Chief Creative Officer Grey New York, effective Dec 1st. A visionary creative leader before joining Grey, Thiago was Global Executive Creative Director at AKQA. Throughout his career, he has developed activity for clients such as Diesel, AB InBev, Heineken, Motorola, American Express, and KFC. Originally from Brazil, Thiago spent more than fifteen years working for some of the best creative agencies in six cities, four countries, and three continents. He has won more than 30 Cannes Lions (including a coveted Titanium Lion and ten golds) and seven Yellow Pencils at the D&AD.
Alba Anthony joins Grey New York as Head of People, effective January 2023. Having served as HR Director of AKQA, Alba returns to lead the People function, ensuring Grey’s employee experience reflects the company’s commitment to fair, equitable and sustainable growth and helping people consistently outperform. Alba’s responsibilities include designing programs for rewarding and recognizing existing talent, increasing retention through borderless creativity and mobility, attracting future employees, and continually helping people learn and grow as leaders.“
With an ambition to be the most entrepreneurial creative company, our strengthened leadership team places a relentless focus on nurturing and growing the people, clients and audiences we serve.” said Grey’s Global CEO, Laura Maness. “Thiago and Alba joining the team alongside Javier and Jason provide Grey with a strong foundation for delivering on our promise of Famously Effective ideas.”
“I‘m delighted to have the opportunity to join Grey at such an exciting time in the company’s history and to continue to work closely with Javier Campopiano on a broader canvas as we write the next chapter of Grey” said Thiago Cruz. “The last year of working with the brilliant AKQA Global Chief Creative Officers Hugo Veiga and Diego Machado, opened my eyes to the unmatched calibre of storytelling, design and innovative talent inside AKQA Group, and now with a shared mission, their full support, and the ability to orchestrate ourselves around clients’ challenges with such ease, I have a clear advantage when it comes to unlocking the full creative potential of Grey.”
“With significant awards from virtually every major festival, Thiago’s work is not only well-known and envied, but he’s also one of the most thoughtful, humble, grounded, and innovative people I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and I know I’m not alone in this view as clients continuously ask for him by name.” said Grey CCO, Javier Campopiano. “In addition to having full confidence in Thiago’s creative abilities, his entrepreneurial spirit, can-do attitude, and the sense of belonging and togetherness he cultivates within his team make him the absolute clear choice.”