Y&R is a leading global marketing communications company, with more than 189 offices in 90+ countries.

Marketing

Young & Rubicam, Inc.

Co-CEOs, Asia

Amy is global client lead on the Intel account at VMLY&R. She is a passionate advocate for effectiveness and firm believer in the importance of rallying the entire advertising ecosystem around the cause.

Before the formation of VMLY&R Amy had been at VML for 19 years, joining the agency in 1999 when it was just 100 people known as a ”think tank that executes.” She was the agency’s first chief strategy officer for 10 years and led the agency’s transformation from pure-play digital to full-service strategic capability across brand and business advisory. Her brand experience ranges from cereal to software — having worked with brand like Kellogg’s, The Kashi Company, and American Century Investments. Prior to that she was an executive client lead for brands such as Sprint, SAP, and Transamerica.

As a leader at VML she also worked across three mergers and acquisitions, assimilating talent and developing new capabilities including digital advertising and brand building.

Amy started her career working at digital content and community start ups in what was once known as New York’s Silicon Alley. She keeps this venture mentality alive in everything she does.

She is a graduate of Cornell College with a degree in Writing and American Studies. 

She lives in Kansas City with her husband and their two children. In the summer you can find her tending to the tomatoes in her rapidly expanding backyard garden.

Amy Winger

As global chief financial officer, Stefan is involved in the detailed operations of the business and client operations; he is responsible for all financial and commercial aspects of the VMLY&R business for the clients, shareholders and stakeholders. Stefan brings a wealth of experience in managing acquisitions and mergers.

Stefan has worked in various roles at WPP, most recently as the global CFO/COO for Geometry Global, the world’s premier shopper and activation network. Prior to his role at Geometry Global, Stefan spent four years at McCann Worldgroup as its EMEA COO/CFO. He spent most of his early career at Y&R and was based in various locations, including Budapest, Amsterdam, Singapore and London.

Stefan is an avid (bordering on fanatic) football (“soccer”) fan and enjoys cycling, skiing, theater, and live music gigs. He lives in New York City but was born in Brugge, Belgium, and speaks four languages. He trained as an accountant at Price Waterhouse (now PwC) and has a master’s as a commercial engineer from the University of Brussels.

Stefan Himpe

Tripti Lochan is the Co-CEO of Asia at Young & Rubicam, Inc. Tripti was previously the CEO of Qais Consulting from December 2005 to December 2011 and the Director of Business and Operations at XM Asia Pacific Pte Ltd from June 2001 to September 2005. Lochan has also worked as an Engagement Manager at icon medialab and as a Senior Manager for Marketing & Sales at RMSI.

Tripti Lochan graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical and Electronics Engg from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra.

Their manager is Jon Cook, Global CEO. They are on a team with Shali Wade - Executive Director, Office of Global CEO, Jj Schmuckler - Chief Growth Officer, and Beth Ann Kaminkow - CEO, [VMLY&R](/org/vml-inc) Commerce & CEO, [VMLY&R](/org/vml-inc) New York.

Tripti Lochan

Laura Jones is the current Chief Strategy Officer at the BAV Group, a subsidiary of Young & Rubicam, Inc. Laura has over fifteen years of experience in the advertising and marketing industry, with a focus on strategic planning and brand development. 

Jones started their career at Merkley and Partners in 2003, working as a brand strategist on the Mercedes Benz account as well as various new business and [Ad Council](/org/ad-council) projects. In 2006, they joined McCann Erickson as VP, Senior Strategic Planner, working on accounts such as Dentyne, U.S. Army, Verizon Wireless, Verizon FiOS, and MasterCard. 

In 2010, Jones moved to [VMLY&R](/org/vml-inc) (now [VMLY&R](/org/vml-inc)), where they served as VP, Planning Director and led integrated strategy for a variety of clients in industries such as CPG, Tech, retail, and parenting brands. Some of their notable accounts during this time include Hillshire Farm, Hillshire Snacking (new brand launch), Dannon, Barilla, Green Mountain Coffee, [JCPenney](/org/jcpenney), Dell, Fisher-Price, and [American Girl](/org/american-girl). 

Jones joined the BAV Group in 2015 and has been serving as the company's Chief Strategy Officer for the past five years. Under their leadership, the BAV Group has become one of the leading global brand consultancy firms, helping clients such as [Coca-Cola](/org/coca-cola), [PepsiCo](/org/pepsico), [Unilever](/org/unilever), Nestle, Samsung, and Microsoft build strong brands and create lasting customer relationships.

Laura Jones has a Master Class from the Executive training program at [Hyper Island](/org/hyper-island). Laura also has a B.S. in Marketing and Communication from [Villanova University](/org/villanova-university).

Laura Jones works with Andrew Dimitriou - CEO, [VMLY&R](/org/vml-inc) EMEA, Beth Wade - Global Chief Marketing Officer, and Fernando Taralli - Chief Integration Officer, LATAM & CEO of [VMLY&R](/org/vml-inc) Brazil. Laura Jones reports to Jon Cook, Global CEO.

Laura Jones

Thomas Tearle is the CEO of [Young & Rubicam, Inc.](/org/young-rubicam) in Australia & NZ. Thomas has over fifteen years of experience in the marketing and advertising industry. 

Thomas started their career as an IT Support Engineer at [Anglia Ruskin University](/org/anglia-ruskin-university) before moving into the marketing industry. Their first role in marketing was at Green Cathedral PLC as an SEM Manager. From there they moved to Golley Slater as an Account Director and then to Wunderman as a Business Director. In 2014 they became Managing Director at Isobar. 

During their time at Isobar, Thomas has been involved in a number of industry initiatives. Thomas was a Judge for the Effies Award in 2019 and they are currently a Judge for the OMA Creative Collection. Thomas has also been a mentor for Trinity P3 Global Marketing Management Consultants' Marketing Mentors Program.

Thomas Tearle's educational career began with a BSc in Electronics & Computer Science from [Anglia Ruskin University](/org/anglia-ruskin-university). From there, they went on to obtain a Master of Business Administration - MBA with a focus in Mini MBA in Marketing from Marketing Week Mini MBA with Mark Ritson. Finally, they completed their schooling at Vandyke Upper School.

They work with Jj Schmuckler - Chief Growth Officer, Frank-Michael Schmidt - CEO, Scholz & Friends Group, and Ronnie Felder - Chief People Officer. Thomas Tearle reports to Jon Cook, Global CEO.

Thomas Tearle

Tim Reisen is the current CEO of Detroit at Young & Rubicam, Inc. Tim has held this position since January 2019. Prior to this, they were the Chief Experience Officer at GTB from August 2012 to January 2019, responsible for design, development, and delivery of owned products, services and platforms across various Global/Regional client initiatives for specific nameplates, Mobility, EV, AV, and Dealer.

From December 2005 to August 2012, Tim was the Vice President at [Time Inc](/org/time-inc). From June 2000 to June 2002, they were the Manager of Global Marketing (Business Development/CRM) at Ford Motor Company. From January 2000 to June 2000, they were a Partner at Digital Futures at J. Walter Thompson (Ford Motor Media). From June 2002 to December 2005, they were the Senior Vice President - Group Account Director at Young & Rubicam.

From July 1992 to January 2000, Tim was the VP of Strategic Planning/CRM Strategy at Young & Rubicam. From September 1989 to July 1992, they were a Media Analyst/Buyer at Campbell-Ewald.

Tim Reisen's educational career includes a BA in Marketing from [Michigan State University](/org/michigan-state-university).

Their manager is Jon Cook, Global CEO. They are on a team with Fernando Taralli - Chief Integration Officer, LATAM & CEO of VMLY&R Brazil, Debbi Vandeven - Global Chief Creative Officer, and Jason Xenopoulos - Chief Creative Officer, NA & Global Chief Creative Officer, WPP Team Ford.

Tim Reisen

Andrea (Ring) Grodberg has been a global strategic leader in the world of advertising and technology for over 25 years. She is dedicated to using the next 25 years to deepen her commitment to sustainability, equity, and helping all companies do good, by doing good.

Most recently, Andrea was chief strategy officer of BBDO. Her vision at BBDO was to add the data rigor and CX widely practiced at more tech-forward agencies to one of the most famous creative brand agencies in the world. 

Andrea Grodberg

Subashini “Suba” Nadarajah is the Global Executive Director of Equity, Inclusion & Belonging[experience + community + clients] at VMLY&R. Since moving into this role, she has worked tirelessly to ensure all employees feel welcome, safe, and heard by building cross-cultural communication and reducing culturally based prejudice and inequality. From instituting new programs to fostering partnerships to taking full advantage of talent pools and pathways, Subashini has made it her mission to promote diversity at VMLY&R and increase cultural literacy, awareness, and acceptance within the agency and across agency partnerships.

Prior to this role, Subashini — an artist by nature and by trade with a master’s in commercial design — served as VMLY&R’s director of design. She worked with client teams to provide design and branding counsel, and throughout the course of her tenure transformed the design department into one of VMLY&R’s most prominent and celebrated units.

Subashini Nadarajah

Claire Gillis is the CEO of VMLY&R Health, the largest and fastest-growing global health offering within WPP. She manages over 2,000 heath specialists and creatives across North America, Europe and APAC.

A scientist, health economist, entrepreneur and business leader, Claire is passionate about using communications and connections to promote better access to healthcare. Claire was awarded The Women in Marketing Leadership Award in 2019 for contributions to Health and Wellness, and she was also included in the 2020 HERoes women role model lists supported by Yahoo Finance.

Claire is a member of WPP STELLA and a supporter of Women in Creative Healthcare, a global program to promote women in creative fields. She’s the co-founder of NOON – an online platform for midlife women challenged by key life transitions – and has been a Non-Executive Director for InMed, a US charity supporting disadvantaged families. Additionally, she’s director of Developmental Therapeutics Consortium, an early oncology asset consultancy.

Claire Gillis

As co-CEO of VMLY&R in Asia, Yi-Chung is focused on managing the agency’s regional growth through cross-discipline integration, planning and organizational strategy.

Before VMLY&R was established in 2018, Yi-Chung developed one of China’s most sought after digital marketing agency – im2.0 – which was later acquired by VML and became VML China under Yi-Chung’s continued leadership. Prior to that, Yi-Chung was a marketing VP at PepsiCo Greater China, where he managed its portfolio of sparkling brands and led marketing strategy, insights and innovation functions. Yi-Chung was also previously a principal strategy consultant at Monitor Group, where he guided major international companies on their growth strategies in Asia.

Yi-Chung graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science with a master’s degree in econometrics and mathematical economics.

Yi-Chung Tay

As Executive Director, Office of the global CEO at VMLY&R, Shali directly supports Jon Cook, and works across VMLY&R's global leadership teams to ensure that VMLY&R's work, clients and capabilities are fully integrated to ensure optimal collaboration, client satisfaction and a thriving culture.

Shali also holds leadership responsibilities within Client Engagement at VMLY&R, with focus in integrated marketing solutions with a specific passion for brand development and branded entertainment. Shali's 12-year career at VMLY&R began as the lead on clients such as the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Cobra Puma Golf, U.S. Soccer and Ryman Hospitality. The work produced by Shali's teams have played an integral part in the agency's evolution to become a lead agency partner for clients around the world.

A graduate from the University of Kansas, Shali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. She is based in Kansas City with her husband Lyndon, young son Aubrey and infant daughter, Cleo.

Shali Wade

JJ is the global chief growth officer at VMLY&R, where he oversees business development activities and corporate go-to-market strategy. Based in New York, JJ is responsible for driving all stages of the agency’s new business initiatives and works closely with global leadership to drive growth for the agency and its clients.

Before VMLY&R was established in 2018, JJ served as global chief marketing officer at Y&R. Prior to that, he led the brand partnerships team at Interlude, an interactive video company and WPP investment. His clients included smartwater, Kimberly-Clark and MTV, among others.

JJ began his career at Wunderman in 2007 and quickly climbed the ranks in account management, focusing on Wunderman’s technology business where he oversaw key accounts like Dell and Microsoft. In 2011, he joined the Y&R network as chief of staff. In 2012, JJ became managing director of global integration at VML, driving and implementing the agency’s expansion strategy across the globe. He played a key role in driving VML’s growth during this time, opening 13 global offices in two years.

In addition to his role at VMLY&R, JJ also serves on the Marketing Communications Executive Committee at the UJA Federation of New York.

A New York native, JJ is a graduate of Brandeis University and a jazz saxophonist by training. He lives in the Bronx with his wife and two sons.

Jj Schmuckler

As chief operating officer, Craig leads vital aspects of VMLY&R, including business operations management, human resources, talent acquisition and properties. He ensures that the agency meets the evolving needs of both clients and employees by removing obstacles to great work and growth.

Craig also takes charge of cross-discipline and cross-office integration, workforce planning and organizational strategy. He is involved in strategic planning for VMLY&R’s office growth initiatives and helps manage a variety of the relationships with partner companies.

Before VMLY&R was established in 2018, Craig worked at VML for 14 years. Before joining VML as director of client service in 2004, Craig was vice president of global advertising and promotions at Burger King. While there, he managed an annual budget of more than $300 million for creative, media, multicultural, kids marketing, merchandising and cross-promotional programs. Prior to Burger King, Craig served as managing director of worldwide advertising and sponsorships at Northwest Airlines and managed a $100 million annual budget for domestic and international advertising. He started his marketing career in Los Angeles working in account management at J. Walter Thompson.

Craig Braasch

As CEO and regional director of VMLY&R Latin America, John spearheads the largest advertising network in the region. In his position, John is responsible for leading the VMLY&R offices, serving as the catalyst in obtaining new business while also providing support throughout the global network.

Based in Miami, John has an impressive multicultural marketing background. With more than 25 years of experience in marketing, John has worked with some of the most notable brands in the world. His expertise in digital and mobile advertising has led to numerous successful and award-winning campaigns for clients.

Before VMLY&R was established in 2018, John joined Y&R from Grey Group Spain, where he served as president and CEO. He directed the agency’s efforts in digital development, brand development, strategic planning and new media. During this time, John successfully worked alongside major national and international clients, such as P&G, Seat, GSK and La Caixa. Prior to his time with Grey, John was the regional director, EMEA, for G2. John began his career at OgilvyOne London and went on to McCann Erickson, where he was regional director for MRM Europe in 2001.

John has a degree in Hispanic studies and Latin American literature from the University of Hull. His passions, among others, are music, literature, sports and classic cars.

John Lynn

As the CEO of VMLY&R South Africa, Jarred leads both the Johannesburg and Cape Town offices. He oversees the inner workings of the agency, managing all departments from a business, HR and operational point of view. Jarred is also the executive in charge of HR and IT.

Before VMLY&R was established in 2018, Jarred served as co-chief operating officer of Y&R Africa Group, overseeing operations at Y&R South Africa and NATIVE VML.

Jarred founded his first company in 1995 and went on to co-found three more businesses. He co-founded Cambrient, one of the businesses that later merged to become NATIVE. NATIVE eventually joined the VML network as NATIVE VML, paving the way for what would eventually become VMLY&R South Africa.

Jarred started out in digital advertising immediately after university, where he earned an honours degree in philosophy. Since the internet was a concept few people understood then, he learned almost everything on the job, and has continued to do so over the years.

In addition to his role at VMLY&R, he also chairs the Digital Media and Marketing Association (DMMA), the industry body in South Africa that represents digital publishers, agencies, brands and educationalists.

Jarred sits on the Loeries Committee, Bookmarks Committee, and The Creative Circle and is an alternate board member for the South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF). He also writes extensively on industry matters for various publications and blogs.

Jarred Cinman

Frank-Michael Schmidt is CEO of the Scholz & Friends Group and co-CEO of the marketing services holding Commarco.

After completing his degree in journalism, philosophy and political science, he started working as an executive assistant at Wilkens Ayer (now FCB) in Hamburg. In 1991 he switched to Lintas, the market leader then, and assumed the role of strategy consultant. Subsequently, he founded his own consultancy in the sector of strategic brand management. From 1998 onwards he was significantly involved as Chief Strategic Officer in leading and successfully developing the J. Walter Thompson Group in Germany. He has been Partner of the Scholz & Friends Group since 2003 and initially held the role of CEO of Scholz & Friends Germany. Since 2008 he has been CEO of the entire Scholz & Friends Group.

Frank-Michael Schmidt was a co-founder of Account Planning Group Germany in 1996. From 2004 to 2008 Frank-Michael Schmidt served on the board of the GWA (German Association of Communications Agencies). In 2006 the journal “new business” voted him the “Agency Head of the Year”. The “Jahrbuch der Werbung” featured him as their “Communication Personality of the Year” in 2009. The journal “werben & verkaufen” has voted him among their top five most successful German agency managers several times. In January 2012 Frank-Michael Schmidt was named “Man of the Year” and given the “HORIZONT” Award by the journal “HORIZONT”.

Frank-Michael Schmidt

Fernando Taralli is the chief integration officer of VMLY&R LATAM and CEO of VMLY&R Brazil. Prior to the merger of VML and Y&R in Brazil, Fernando was in charge of VML since its arrival in the country in 2011. Under his leadership, VML became one of the most relevant digital agencies in the country. With an amazing team with a common purpose, he helped design the processes and set up an operation capable of converting clients like Netflix, Expedia, PayPal, Amazon, Nespresso, Oi Telecom, Bridgestone, Colgate Palmolive and Kimberly-Clark into successful cases. Among the many achievements, over the last 7 years in the Brazilian market, VML Brasil was recognized as a digital leader by Grupo Consultores.

Fernando’s strong commitment to clients’ business results has helped build true partner-agency relationships. His passion for innovation led VML to create Colgate’s first web series in the market and to introduce the largest retailer, Casas Bahia, on ecommerce.

Fernando is a digital media enthusiast and has served as key speaker at several online media festivals and seminars. In addition to leading integration at VMLY&R LATAM, Fernando is a major supporter of social initiatives and often collaborates with the Attorney General’s Office of São Paulo. Through pro bono work, he has brought attention to several of Brasil’s important social causes.

Fernando Taralli

Beth Ann is the Global Chief Executive Officer of VMLY&R COMMERCE — WPP’s end-to-end Creative Commerce agency, created from the combined the talent, expertise and scale of powerhouse global agencies Geometry and VMLY&R. She is also the CEO of VMLY&R's New York office.

Beth Ann is recognized as a leader with a proven record of reimagining retail, as well as creating and designing commercial programs that drive growth at the intersection of physical, digital and social. She continues to drive innovation in this space with a belief that commerce holds the most untapped creative potential to grow brands and people.

In her two plus decades in the industry, Beth Ann has touched every aspect of marketing communications across consumer-packaged goods, retail, finance, restaurant and technology companies and brings both client and agency side perspectives to her work. She is a strong advocate of insights-inspired marketing programs and the power of creativity to drive positive societal impact.

A worldwide traveler born in Baltimore (though she considers herself more of a Bostonian at heart—especially when it comes to sports loyalties!) Beth Ann graduated with a BA from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and an MBA from Boston University in Organizational Behavior. Beth Ann was a founding member of a successful startup purchased by Omnicom, led TracyLocke as the first female CEO in its one-hundred-year history, as well served as the first Global Chief Marketing Officer of Westfield Corp and CEO for Kantar Consulting Americas. She most recently served as Global CEO of Geometry. 

Beth Ann is a voice on IE&D issues and has been recognized as an AdAge Woman to Watch, is a member of WPP’s X-Factor, and serves on the national boards of the Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications as well as the non-profit charity Back on My Feet.

Beth Ann Kaminkow

Andrew is responsible for managing VMLY&R across EMEA. He also serves as the Global Client Leader WPP Sanofi.

Prior to his current role, he led  Y&R EMEA for three years — which included being awarded Regional Cannes Creative Network of the Year (2017), Effectiveness Network of the year (2016).

Before leading Y&R Andrew led WPP’s Red Fuse unit across Europe. Before leading Red Fuse, Andrew was the global managing director on the Hill’s Pet Nutrition account, which was handled by VML in Kansas City, Y&R Prague and Y&R Tokyo.

Andrew is a true globalist and a thoughtful integrated marketer, no doubt because he is a creative and entrepreneurial thinker. He has shown his passion and commitment – for the business, for the clients and the agency – since his early days in new business.

He has worked at Y&R and WPP for 20 years on four continents, cutting his teeth in New Business Development at Y&R New York, then shifting to account management on clients like Xerox and Merck. He also served as Client Services Director in Latin America, where he worked on a broad range of categories. He speaks English, Greek and Spanish and is working on his French every day.

Andrew's native Australia may be evident in his every spoken word, but he is a true globalist. He is based in Paris, with his wife Jennifer and their twins, Zoe and Christian.

Andrew Dimitriou

Tasha Gilroy is an esteemed HR practitioner and leader in the industry’s DEI community, having served in culture and inclusion roles for the past 13 years. Most recently, she was director of inclusion and community for Y&R. 
 
Over the years, she has introduced a range of high-impact programs including unconscious bias executive training and employee programs that have forged access and opportunities for women, people of color, and the industry’s most underrepresented groups. 
 
Gilroy is a member of ColorComm and an active member of Advancing Women Executives and the AAF Mosaic Committee. Additionally, she is the executive sponsor to the WPP Elevate Pilot Program for Black Women. 
 
Tasha is the recipient of the ANA Advertising Educational Foundation’s 2020 Talent Champion Award and the 2019 AD Club “Icons, Rockstars & Innovators” award.
 
She has been nick-named the "auntie of advertising" by several ad pros who have benefited from the advice, council and mentorship Tasha provides. Tasha is based in New York City and is a proud mother and grandmother of two.

Tasha Gilroy

Ronnie Felder is the global chief people officer at VMLY&R. With over 22 years in the field of HR, Ronnie provides strategic leadership and workforce planning across the agency's global offices. His focus is on preserving the unique culture, employee experience, and talent engagement commitments for VMLY&R's global employee footprint. His team manages benefits, compensation, engagement, hiring, HR compliance, onboarding, performance management, retention, and learning for locations around the globe.

Ronnie is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce. He is passionate about ensuring VMLY&R is the best place to work for all employees.

In 2017, Ronnie helped lead VML to recognition as one of the first 3% certified agencies by the 3% movement. The certification noted VML's progress and benchmark in inclusion and diversity as a company and was based on self-reported data, in-person interviews, and external research.

Ronnie currently sits on the 3% Board as well as an HR advisory board member for UMKC. Formerly, Ronnie was the director of human resources at Kaplan Test Prep, and has also worked for Kaplan K12 Learning Services, Dynamic Logic, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Staffmark and Meredith Corporation.

Ronnie was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and spent most of his early life living in Germany, the former Yugoslavia, and South Korea before moving to the US. Ronnie attended high school and college in Alabama before moving to New York. In his free time, Ronnie enjoys traveling and spending time with his spouse and their dog Sammy.

Ronnie Felder

John serves as chief of staff for the office of global CEO. He also serves as the executive director of the VMLY&R Foundation, an employee-funded and employee-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit philanthropic organization.

John led VML employee communications from 2007-2018. He has supported the agency’s intranet platform, weekly employee newsletter, weekly all-agency meetings, and a wide range of agency events and conferences. John is also the co-founder of TEDxKC.

A Kansas City native and graduate of Rockhurst University (BA in Communication and Political Science), John is a former board member of the Police Athletic League and Head for the Cure Foundation.

John Mulvihill

Jeff is VMLY&R’s Global Chief Experience Officer and the visionary behind VMLY&R’s customer experience practice. This practice combines technology, strategy, commerce, and innovation, experience design, and creativity to transform the way companies work, how they innovate, and how they adapt to changes in technology.

As VMLY&R’s chief experience officer, Jeff grows the agency’s world-class experience design, commerce, and technology capabilities. Before VMLY&R was established in 2018, Jeff spent 17 years at VML, shaping many of the most pivotal client engagements through his balanced understanding of consumers, business and technology. He has diverse experience across clients such as Ford, Kellogg, Kimberly-Clark, Microsoft and Sprint. 

He’s been recognized by Kansas City TechWeek’s Tech100 and Ingram’s “40 under 40,” which recognizes emerging leaders in the region. He is also on the board of advisors for both KCNext and Digital Sandbox KC. 

Jeff graduated from the University of Kansas with both a Bachelor of Science and an MBA in computer science. He remains active with the school, serving on the advisory board for the KU School of Business. He lives in Saint Joseph, Missouri, with his wife, Jenny, and two children, Evelyn and Graham.

Jeff Geheb

Jason is the Regional Chief Creative Officer for VMLY&R North America and the Global Chief Creative Officer for WPP on Ford. 

Jason’s entrepreneurial ventures have spanned all areas of the media industry from film and television to advertising, music, and the Internet. He’s a pioneer of the South African communications industry, having made his mark as a company founder and award-winning screenwriter and film director.

Among his other entrepreneurial ventures, Jason co-founded NATIVE which rapidly grew to be Africa's leading digital marketing agency. Under Jason’s leadership, NATIVE (now VMLY&R South Africa) won a host of local and international awards including being named Entertainment Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions and Agency of the Year twice by the IAB.

In addition to his creative awards, Jason was named All Africa Entrepreneur of the Year by CNBC and Entrepreneur of the Year by the SA Jewish Report. 

After judging the Branded Entertainment category at Cannes Lions, Jason and his jury co-authored the book, The Art of Branded Entertainment, which made it onto the Amazon Bestsellers list.

Jason regularly judges award shows including Cannes Lions (Branded Entertainment in 2017, Titanium in 2018) One Show, Andy’s, NY Festivals, and Dubai Lynx (Where he served as the President of the Branded Entertainment jury). 

Jason Xenopoulos

Debbi is global CCO at VMLY&R, a brand experience agency delivering contemporary, fully integrated work across the connected consumer experience to clients worldwide, including Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dell, Ford, Intel, Sam’s Club and Wendy’s. She led the successful creative merger of VML and Y&R in 2018, and Geometry in 2020, enabling VMLY&R and VMLY&R Commerce to become one of the top global agencies. With the combination of brand experience, customer experience and commerce the VMLY&R agency network has grown to 13,000 employees in 100+ offices worldwide.

Throughout her career as a creative leader, Debbi has continually fostered a collaborative creative environment that delivers smart and innovative solutions in partnership with clients across the globe. Debbi’s creative philosophy is to focus on the idea, rather than a specific channel or execution, and she encourages teams to approach everything they do from this perspective. It’s this approach that’s at the heart of VMLY&R’s mission to harness creativity, technology and culture to create connected brands that drive value for clients. Debbi’s VMLY&R global creative board includes some of the most talented creative leaders in the world — from North America, Europe, and Latin America to Asia, Africa, and Australia/New Zealand. She works with this leadership team to deliver inspiring work that truly makes an impact wherever and whenever people are.

After graduating from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Debbi started a design business with her husband, Jeff, where she honed her powerful combination of design talent and business acumen. Since joining the agency in 2000, she has helped lead it to Ad Age Agency A-List honors over the past several years and was named the 2020 Ad Age CCO of the Year, as well as being recognized on Adweek’s Creative 100, Ad Age’s “Women to Watch” list, Business Insider’s “30 Most Creative People in Advertising” and a Campaign U.S. Female Frontier Awards 2021 Honoree.

VMLY&R has experienced unprecedented growth and recognition under her leadership, earning accolades from every top international award show, including Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Andy Awards, ADC Awards, Clio Awards, Communication Arts honors, D&AD Awards, Effie Awards, The London International Awards (LIA), One Show, Spikes Asia, and Webby Awards. In 2019, the agency received 31 Cannes Lions, including two coveted Grand Prix in the Glass and Social & Influencer categories, 69 shortlists, and Agency of the Year honors in the Reach and Good tracks.

Debbi has presided over top international juries, including Andys, ADC (2018 jury chair), Ad Age Creativity (2021 work jury chair), Cannes Lions (2020/2021 Social & Influencer jury president and 2018 Entertainment jury president), Clios (2019 Direct & Experiential/Events jury chair and 2016 Digital jury chair), D&AD (2020 Experiential jury president), One Show Interactive, and Spikes Asia (2019 Entertainment & Music jury chair). She’s also graced the main stage at Cannes and the Loeries in Africa/Middle East and led sessions of The One Club Creative Leaders Retreat.

The mother of two talented young women — Kylie and Hallie — Debbi believes it’s vitally important to be a strong supporter of initiatives advancing women in creative leadership and mentoring to help women develop the skills to succeed in today’s industry. She was part of the predominantly female team that created a 2019 Super Bowl spot for Bumble, featuring Serena Williams, which was honored in the Mosaic10, a first-of-its-kind consumer-selected list of the top 10 advertising and multicultural moments of 2019. In addition, Debbi has been a key contributor and supporter of the 3% Movement since its inception — even leading VML to being named one of the first-ever 3% Certified agencies. She was also part of the founding group of female agency leaders who launched TIME’S UP Advertising to address the industry’s pervasive problems with sexual harassment and gender inequality.

Debbi Vandeven

As VMLY&R's Global Chief Client Officer, Chuck is responsible for cultivating engagement, collaboration and purposeful innovation across the agency’s global client network. Chuck is an energetic and contemporary marketer with a proven ability to integrate strategic leadership and a solutions-oriented technique across the agency's client relationships. His dedication to client satisfaction, operational excellence, team growth and world-class work sets the tone for more than 300 Client Engagement and Delivery professionals across the VMLY&R network.

Prior to the establishment of VMLY&R, Chuck joined VML in 2000. Since then, he has driven key portfolio initiatives for many of the agency's leading client partners including Danone, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Mastercard, Gatorade, PepsiCo, Pfizer, and Red Bull. His focus has been to help drive VMLY&R’s mission to create connected brands and experiences. Chuck continues to lead integrated activations for key partners, always elevating cross-channel strategies across the entire connected consumer experience. Chuck champions culturally-relevant work, ensuring client value and growth in all partnerships. He serves on VMLY&R's executive and global leadership teams, and his focus on inclusion and diversity helps elevate the network’s culture across the entire organization. 

Chuck graduated from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, with a degree in marketing and a minor in communications. He received his MBA from the Rockhurst University Helzberg School of Management with a focus in international marketing and management. Chuck is an active member of the Rockhurst University Helzberg School of Management advisory board and is committed to supporting higher education and mentorship opportunities for upcoming VMLY&R talent. Chuck also serves on the Menorah Medical Center Board, as well as the 4A’s regional council. He has served on several other charitable and community boards throughout his career.

Chuck Searle

Chris is charged with developing the capability of the VMLY&R network, looking at how the team develops, organizes, sells and sustains capabilities that the clients need today and tomorrow. Chris is currently focused on organizing and building the capabilities within the EMEA region, as the company integrates the legacy VML and Y&R offices, and move towards a more regional approach to capability. 

Historically Chris led the London office overseeing 5 years of continued growth between 2011-16.  During this time the agency expanded its services and capability to include enterprise software development, innovation and advisory services; and grew flagship clients including Premier Inn, Premier League, Xbox, Virgin Active and Bentley Motors.  He also held roles with a number of global client teams including Ford, Bridgestone and BP.

Chris Wood

As VMLY&R’s global chief marketing officer, Beth is responsible for facilitating the growth of the VMLY&R brand and marketing strategy across the agency’s global network. She has been an integral part of the agency’s expansion and is pivotal to the ongoing evolution of the network. As a part of the executive leadership team, she drives consistency in brand strategy, leads a dynamic and connected culture, and ensures client service team connectivity, as well as discipline integration among the VMLY&R network offices.

Before the establishment of VMLY&R, Beth worked at VML for 15 years, including her time in a previous role of chief client officer. As chief client officer, she worked alongside each department lead on agency service offering evolution and company growth and achieved impressive results on the behalf of VML’s client base.

In addition to her role as VMLY&R’s global CMO, Beth is extremely passionate about giving back to her community and helping mold the next generation of female leaders. To that end, she serves on the board of the BMA Foundation and is a founding member and proud supporter of Women@VML.

Beth is a graduate of University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Science in business administration. Outside of her time at VMLY&R, Beth spends her free time with her husband and her daughter, who is an aspiring artist.

Beth Wade

As chief connections officer, Amy ensures that VMLY&R connects brands to audiences with purpose and results. Her award-winning team collaborates with VMLY&R strategy, creative and technology to unlock and enable the most powerful ideas. Together, they maximize the value of every touch point across the connected consumer experience, including social media, paid media, paid and organic search, experiential marketing, and PR.

Amy’s romance with digital marketing began in the late ’90s, and she’s been helping businesses plan and run integrated marketing programs ever since. Before VMLY&R was established in 2018, Amy spent more than a decade with VML, partnering with both business-to-business and business-to-consumer companies of all stripes, including retail, technology, consumer packaged goods and tourism. She also spent several years on the client side, leading the digital marketing team at H&R Block and serving as vice president of marketing for Andrews McMeel Publishing.

An inconsistent short-distance runner and a lover of tacos, Amy earned a Bachelor of Arts in humanities from the University of Kansas.

Amy Worley

As VMLY&R's global president, Eric provides strategic leadership and business planning across the agency’s global offices, ensuring continued growth for current client engagements and new business efforts.

Eric is known for introducing inventive ways to enable client partners to better navigate the ever-changing world of digital-driven marketing and for his fearless approach to solving business challenges and delivering results for clients. He possesses a unique combination of marketing strategy, creativity, and technology and operations experience to best apply VMLY&R's know-how to deliver solutions.

Prior to his role at VMLY&R, Eric joined VML in 1999. He was pivotal in the continued evolution of VML's capabilities, playing key roles across departments and client teams while providing executive leadership to key strategic accounts across the agency.

In 2007, Eric began serving on VML’s Executive Leadership Team, most recently as chief business officer, where he was responsible for the agency's business development practice. He was also responsible for the launch of VML Seattle in 2004 while leading the Microsoft business, and has been integral in VML's inclusion in other Team WPP operations such as Cavalry, which services Coors Light, Coors Banquet and MillerCoors.

Since transitioning into his role at VMLY&R, Eric has been central to expanding the agency’s footprint and unifying operations to provide a connected capability focused on serving as the leading strategic partner for the world's most forward-thinking brands.

In his free time, Eric enjoys spending time with his family. He is also an avid baseball fan and enjoys the lifelong challenge of improving his golf game. He is a graduate of the University of Central Missouri and holds a Bachelor of Science in graphic arts technology management.

Eric Campbell

Jon has led VMLY&R as global CEO since the agency was established in September 2018. The agency is a global marketing force with more than 12,000 employees in 44 countries; principal office locations include Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. Jon is a member of the WPP Executive Committee.

In 2020, VMLY&R and Geometry combined commerce capabilities to form VMLY&R COMMERCE, providing world-class expertise at a time of unprecedented global growth in ecommerce. Also in 2020, Sudler’s international healthcare practice became VMLY&Rx. Additional VMLY&R agencies include BAV Group, Berlin Cameron, KingEclient, Mutato, Scholz & Friends, TAXI and The Glitch.

Prior to leading VMLY&R, Jon served as VML global CEO from 2011 to 2018. He joined the agency in 1996, and during his tenure VML grew from 30 employees in Kansas City, Missouri, to more than 3,000 employees across six continents. Jon helped lead the agency to Advertising Age A-List honors — which recognizes the industry’s top 10 most influential and impactful agencies — from 2016 to 2018.

In June 2021, Jon once again led the agency to top 10 recognition on the prestigious Ad Age A-List, based on creativity, financial performance, innovation and the ability to grow clients’ business. Also in 2021, VMLY&R was named the Creative Network of the Year by Campaign and Agency Network of the Year by Campaign US.

In 2020, VMLY&R was honored by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies and by the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as a top four Network of the Decade. In 2019, Cannes named VMLY&R Agency of the Year in both the Reach and Good tracks. The agency has repeatedly been recognized by Forrester and Gartner for leadership and expertise in global marketing and digital experiences.

VMLY&R is proud to serve some of the world's most recognized and respected brands, including Campbell’s, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dell, Ford, Intel, Microsoft, Pfizer, Sherwin-Williams, United Rentals, U.S. Navy, and Wendy’s.

Jon was a finalist for Campaign US 2019 Advertising Agency Head of the Year and, in 2017, was named by the 4A’s as one of the 100 People Who Make Advertising Great. He was also recognized as the Advertising Professional of the Year by the American Advertising Federation-Kansas City (AAF-KC) in 2014 and was a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award program in 2012.

A leading advocate for the VMLY&R Foundation, the agency's employee-funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit community service organization, Jon serves on the advisory board. He also serves on the Ad Council Board of Directors; is a member of the national advisory board of the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri; and is a board member of the Head for the Cure Foundation — a national organization seeking cures for brain cancer.

Jon is a tireless advocate for the agency’s comprehensive commitment to DE&I and more than 10 diverse employee resource groups. In 2017, he helped guide VML through the certification process with the 3% Movement — an organization championing female creative leadership, diversity, and inclusion — and VML became one of the industry’s first 3% Certified agencies.

Jon graduated from the University of Missouri in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. In 2018, Jon delivered the commencement address at the Missouri School of Journalism graduation ceremony. He relishes spending time with his wife, Lisa, and their three daughters. The family especially enjoys hiking together.

Jon Cook

The executive team at Young & Rubicam, Inc. has a wealth of experience in the industry, with members having worked at companies such as Chief, BAV Group, VMLY&R, McCann Erickson, and VMLY&R COMMERCE. They also have a variety of educational backgrounds, including degrees in marketing, electrical and electronics engineering, and computer science.

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