R/GA has appointed Vanessa Lai to serve as group creative director, intelligent systems. In this newly created role, Lai will be responsible for leading clients and creative projects across the company, while also supporting new initiatives that define how emerging technology powers the way R/GA works and creates. She will report to Tiffany Rolfe, chair and global chief creative officer at R/GA.
In her role, Lai will act as a key connector across the company, partnering closely with Addition, a leading AI system design and development studio that was acquired by R/GA earlier this year. Additionally, she will collaborate with R/GA’s internal global AI products team to experiment with new tools, workflows, and creative blueprints. She will play a pivotal role in accelerating AI enablement across the agency, helping teams adopt new processes that unlock faster, smarter, and more imaginative ways of building work.
“Vanessa brings the rare blend of creativity, technical fluency, and systems thinking that’s needed today,” said Rolfe. “We see the future of creativity is about designing intelligent systems for brands which means we’ll go from just ‘making things’ to ‘making things that make things,’ and Vanessa brings the kind of leadership that accelerates that shift. We’re thrilled she’s chosen to build that future with R/GA.”
Lai joins R/GA from Monks, where she most recently served as group innovation director, shaping the agency’s use of agentic systems and AI workflows to enable human creativity. Her work spanned AI-powered storytelling, immersive environments, and hybrid experiences that blended the physical, digital, and virtual. Prior to that, she served in a variety of creative positions at Monks, including creative director, where she led immersive web, AR/VR, and experiential work. Lai brings a deep understanding of how creativity, design, and emerging technology come together to build meaningful, human-centered experiences.
“As intelligent tools reshape the creative process, this calls for new ways of working that give human imagination more reach, more depth, and the space to evolve with intention. R/GA has always pushed the boundaries of creativity and technology, and I’m so excited to help shape how we build what comes next and unlock the full potential of this emerging tech for our clients” said Lai.
Lai’s appointment comes as R/GA accelerates its evolution into an AI-first creative innovation company. Since returning to independence with the support of Truelink Capital, the company has invested in new talent, capabilities, and platforms that will define the future of creative work. Her arrival further strengthens R/GA’s mission to lead the industry through this next wave of transformation, where intelligent brand systems designed with human imagination deliver breakthrough work for clients.
