Rona Joins Tribal DDB as President of the European Operations

NEW YORK, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Patrick Rona is joining Tribal DDB in February to oversee its European operations.

Rona will be responsible for reinforcing and expanding the company's position, as well as driving growth and innovation in digital marketing services across the DDB Group.

He joins Tribal DDB from OgilvyOne in the UK, where he ran the global Unilever digital marketing account for brands such as Dove, Persil, Flora/Becel, Hellman's and Vaseline.

Rona has more than 15 years of digital marketing experience and was Senior Vice President at Digitas in London before he joined OgilvyOne.

"Patrick is an exceptional talent, a proven leader, and a digital visionary who will help me expand and bolster our clients and the Tribal DDB brand throughout Europe," said Paul Gunning, CEO of Tribal DDB Worldwide. "We look forward to his contributions in a region that has proven great power in the digital space and promises more innovation this year and in those to come."

Rona's appointment comes on the heels of a successful 2009, when Tribal DDB's European operation picked up significant new business at local, regional and international levels.

Additionally, in Asia Pacific, Tribal DDB was named Digital Agency of the Year at Media's 2009 Agency of the Year Awards, and in the U.S., Creativity magazine named Tribal DDB's Monopoly City Streets to its Top Ten picks for 2009 in video, interactive, print/design. The Philips Carousel film by the Amsterdam office dominated the award shows, and picked up the Grand Prix at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes as well as at the Eurobest awards.

Chuck Brymer, President and CEO of DDB Worldwide, noted, "By any measure and in all regions, 2009 was a year of achievement for Tribal DDB. Talent like Patrick will keep the ball moving forward in 2010."

Rona said of his appointment: "Tribal DDB is one of the few truly great global digital agencies at the top of their game with great clients and great people. As the lines between 'traditional' and 'new' media continue to evaporate, and as clients continue shifting more of their spend toward new media, I believe Tribal DDB and the entire DDB Group are in a unique position to redefine the rules and help clients such as Volkswagen, Philips and J&J succeed as never before."

ABOUT TRIBAL DDB WORLDWIDE

Tribal DDB Worldwide (www.tribalddb.com), an Advertising Age A-List agency, is headquartered in New York and includes 56 offices spanning 36 countries throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific region. The first digital agency to win the Cannes Grand Prix in Film, garnering the award  for Philips "Cinema 21:9" at the International Advertising Festival  in 2009, Tribal DDB in 2007 had also become the first digital agency to ever win Global Agency Network of the Year from Advertising Age.. In 2005, Tribal DDB was named Interactive Agency of the Year by Adweek and the Cannes International Advertising Festival, where it took home the most Lions and the Cyber Grand Prix. Tribal DDB Worldwide is part of Omnicom Group's (NYSE: OMC) DDB Worldwide.

SOURCE DDB Worldwide