DDB New York Names Chris Brown President and CEO

NEW YORK, June 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- DDB Worldwide, part of Omnicom Group, today announced Chris Brown has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of DDB New York. He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of DDB Group Australia, and will transition into the new role in September 2014.

Additionally, a new group structure in New York has been created and will encompass:  DDB New York, Uproar@DDB, DDB Remedy, Tribal Worldwide New York, Roberts & Langer DDB and Spike DDB. Peter Hempel, current Chief Executive Officer of DDB New York, will assume the new position of Chairman and CEO, DDB Group New York, overseeing the entire group to ensure the agencies are collaborating and exploring joint opportunities.

Brown will report jointly to Hempel and Mark O'Brien, President of DDB North America. Hempel will continue to report to O'Brien.

O'Brien said, "We need to make sure we are looking across all of our resources in New York to bring even more talent into the organization and provide our clients with complete marketing solutions." 

Brown brings to his new position 17 years of experience with DDB Worldwide, both in the UK and Australia. He was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of DDB Group Australia in 2012, after serving as Group Managing Director of DDB Sydney from 2007 to 2012.

"Chris has a proven track record of success and growth and I'm thrilled for him to join us in North America," added O'Brien. "Over the years, I've watched him become a strong, effective leader who is admired by the industry, his clients and his staff. He truly embodies what makes DDB special in that he is both talented and nice."

Under his leadership, Brown created a nationally integrated offering centered around creativity, data and technology, effectively merging DDB Sydney and DDB Melbourne to form DDB Group Australia. The Group went on to win accolades from the IAB, including: Agency of the Year, PR Agency of the Year, Experiential Agency of the Year, Ad of the Year, Campaign of the Year and Best in Show. In 2012 the agency won the prestigious Spikes Agency of the Year honor for Asia Pacific.  

"This new structure allows us to get more from all the talent that we have within the various groups that are part of DDB in New York," said Hempel. "After 11 years at DDB New York, I am looking forward to working with Chris to see what kinds of synergies can be created across our operations."

"The opportunity to run DDB's New York office with the ambition to be one of the best agencies in the world is an opportunity I couldn't refuse," said Brown. "These are exciting times and I am passionate about continually looking at how we evolve as a business to ensure we are delivering outstanding creative solutions for our clients. The talent, culture and clients at DDB New York inspire me, and I look forward to working closely with the team."

Brown has worked with a range of leading brands in his career, including Sony, Telstra, Tourism Australia, Unilever, J&J and Volkswagen. He was promoted to the Board of Management and Managing Partner of DDB Sydney at the age of 30, and Group Managing Director of DDB Sydney at the age of 33, with overall responsibility for DDB, RAPP, Mango, DDB Remedy and Tribal Worldwide.  Brown has produced award-winning campaigns that have been recognized at the top shows around the world such as the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, One Show, D&AD, IPA and AFA Effectiveness awards. He was featured in AdNews 40 under 40 in 2008 and Campaign Asia-Pacific's 40 under 40 in 2013. Brown currently sits on the National Communications Council Board in Australia and is one of the participants in the "Male Champions of Change" initiative, committed to promoting gender equality within the industry.

"With this new leadership structure in New York, we are getting the best of all worlds," said O'Brien. "Chris's ability to grow and transform the business and Peter's management skills ensure that DDB Group New York will be a force to be reckoned with."

About DDB
DDB Worldwide (www.ddb.com) is one of the world's largest and most awarded advertising and marketing networks. In 2012 DDB was named Advertising Network of the Year by Campaign, as well as Agency of the Year and Digital Agency of the Year by Strategy magazine. At the prestigious 2013 Cannes International Festival of Creativity, DDB won 93 Lions, the most ever for the network. In addition, The Gunn Report has listed DDB as one of the Top 3 Global Networks for the last 12 years. The agency's clients include Volkswagen, McDonald's, Unilever, Mars, Johnson & Johnson, and Exxon Mobil, among others.

Founded in 1949, DDB is part of the Omnicom Group (NYSE) and consists of more than 200 offices in over 90 countries with its flagship office in New York, NY.

About Omnicom Group Inc.
Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE-OMC) is a leading global marketing and corporate communications company. Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive marketing, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

For further information on Omnicom and its brands, please visit www.omnicomgroup.com

Contact:

Christie Giera
Director of Corporate Communications and North American Public Relations, DDB Worldwide
Email: [email protected]
Office: 212-415-2186

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140624/121147

SOURCE DDB Worldwide