• Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016
Peter Zillig named chief exec of Cheil London
Peter Zillig
LONDON -- 

Cheil London has appointed Peter Zillig, a former chief executive of Havas Worldwide New York, as the chief executive of its London office. His appointment follows the resignation of Paul Hammersley, the chief executive of Cheil UK, last month.  Zillig, who will report to the chief executive of Cheil Europe Kevin Park, will take responsibility for the Cheil London office. BMB, under chief executive Juliet Haygarth, will operate as a separate entity within Cheil UK with Haygarth also reporting to Park.
 
Zillig has extensive experience both on the client and agency side. He is a former EMEA head of advertising, UK communications director and marketing and communications director for e-commerce for Compaq, working in Munich, London and Houston. As well as working at Havas Worldwide, where he rose from president of global brands to CEO of the New York office, Zillig is a former EMEA chief executive of Tag Worldwide, where he led its digital transformation, and has also worked at Lowe Worldwide as global business director.

  • Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016
Framestore Pictures signs directors Anh Vu and Marcus Ubungen
Anh Vu
NEW YORK -- 

Framestore Pictures has signed directors Anh Vu and Marcus Ubungen. The NYC-based Vu has a background in design and visual effects. Having started at Psyop in 2007 as a designer, Vu quickly elevated into Psyop’s director collective. To date, she has contributed to several award-winning campaigns for brands like Aetna, GE, Volkswagen, JBL, Samsonite, Stand Up To Cancer, Michelin and Silk. 

San Francisco native Ubungen has worked at creative agency Goodby, Silverstein, & Partners directing content for clients Chevrolet, Motorola, Adobe, Google, and Specialized Bikes. In 2014 he turned to directing full-time and went on to shoot campaigns for Gatorade, Samsung, Toyota, and Porsche. His last short film Halloween Meets Gasoline was staff picked by Vimeo and screened at SXSW.

Both directors have recently launched compelling personal projects; Vu’s Never to Forget portrays the lives of women and children from the state of Rajasthan, India, and their fight for equality while Ubungen’s Beyond The Fields follows child boxers in rural Thailand.

  • Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016
Lauren Buckley becomes director of strategy at Peterson Milla Hooks
Lauren Buckley
MINNEAPOLIS -- 

Independent and retail-specialty agency Peterson Milla Hooks (PMH) has named Lauren Buckley as its first director of strategy. Buckley will serve as a member of the agency’s leadership team, and will play a key role in current client and new business development. She will also have oversight of strategic platforms across all accounts.

Buckley joins from mono, where she was a strategic planning director working on Propel, The North Face and Children’s Hospitals of Minnesota, along with being an integral part of their new business efforts including SunChips and Vera Bradley.

“Lauren brings a wonderful blend of empathy, storytelling and business acumen with a deep conviction for effective creative work,” said David Denham, president of PMH. “More and more, sound arguments with powerful insights are key to delivering unconventional and differentiating creative work. With Lauren leading our strategy team, we add another powerful voice for why and how a brand can break through.”

Buckley started her career as a copywriter at FCB in Chicago, where she worked on many of the S.C. Johnson family of brands, in addition to Kmart and Valspar. After five years in the Windy City, she returned to Minneapolis to write for Olson, working on Target, kidrobot and Kraftmaid. There, she made the transition to brand strategist while working on Aurora Healthcare, Target and University of Minnesota. 

“PMH has the reputation of impeccable and breakthrough execution,” said Buckley. “Being a creative at heart, even though I am much better suited to strategy, means the work is the most important part of our business. Adding more rigor and insight to the process and working with teams that are hungry for both is an incredible opportunity.”

  • Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2016
Rosa, Lanning to head FuseFx’s Vancouver studio
Randall Rosa

FuseFX has appointed visual effects industry veterans Randall Rosa and Wendy Lanning to head its production facility in Vancouver. Rosa will lead the creative team as head of production/sr. VFX supervisor. He brings more than 20 years of experience in senior creative and management roles, including posts with Stan Winston Digital and Digital Domain. Lanning arrives as executive producer and will oversee client relations, business development and strategic planning.

FuseFX launched its Vancouver operation in 2014. In Vancouver, it produces visual effects for such series as The Magicians, Dark Matter, Zoo, Salem, Aftermath and Timeless. Upcoming projects include Prison Break and Mist.

“Vancouver is one of the most dynamic markets for television production in the world and we have built a team there that is acutely attuned to television production and knows how to deliver superb visual effects,” said FuseFX president David Altenau. “Randall and Wendy bring the experience and the drive to continue that success and help us reach the next level.”

Rosa previously served as animation director and oversaw the 3D Department for Air Bud Entertainment for a number of family features for Disney and Netflix. While studying computer science and art & design at California Polytechnic University, he was encouraged to attend California Institute of the Arts and study animation by John Lasseter. After graduating from Cal Arts in 1993, he joined the newly forming Digital Domain, eventually rising to animation supervisor while contributing to such features as True Lies, Apollo 13 and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, as well as award-winning television commercials for GM, Coca-Cola, Mercedes Benz, Budweiser and others.

In 2002, Rosa joined Stan Winston Studio, where he co-founded and served as animation director/EP of the studio’s digital production arm, Stan Winston Digital. His background also includes freelance and consulting work for studios in Los Angeles and Canada on film, television, commercial, gaming and music video projects.

Rosa called his role with FuseFX an opportunity to build on the strong creative team at FuseFX and work on the best shows in television. “This company has great talent and I want to foster an atmosphere where artists are continually challenged and clients’ creative goals are always exceeded,” he said. “It’s a wonderful time to be in Vancouver and to work in episodic storytelling.”

Lanning’s career in visual effects spans 20 years in Vancouver and Toronto. Most recently, she was visual effects EP at Psyop Film & Television, Vancouver. She held a similar post with Look Effects, Vancouver, where her credits included Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Noah. She also served in producer roles with Digital Domain and Prime Focus. She was a co-founder and executive VFX producer of Intelligent Creatures, a Toronto visual effects house. Highlights there included Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Fountain and Babel.

“I’ve been a big fan of FuseFX,” Lanning said. “The company has an excellent leadership team that is redefining episodic visual effects. The Vancouver office has been producing excellent work and I see great potential for its growth.”

FuseFX maintains facilities in Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver.

  • Monday, Oct. 31, 2016
Attention's span grows with 3 strategic hires
Asif Khan
NEW YORK -- 

Attention, a global social media agency that is an arm of KBS, has hired Asif Khan, Tim Gunatilaka, and Ben Krantz as VP/strategy & analytics, director of content, and creative director, respectively.
 
“Asif, Tim and Ben all have deep social and content roots but provide a broader purview of the marketing landscape, which is important to us as we continue to innovate for and with our clients,” said president of Attention, Tom Buontempo.
 
Kahn will be responsible for bringing a fresh perspective to Attention’s strategy and creative team, and showing the agency how data and creativity are inextricably linked. Prior to joining Attention, Khan led the strategy department at VICE Media’s Carrot Creative where he played an instrumental role in winning several pieces of new business, including Chipotle as its first ever-social AOR and several Unilever brands. He is also responsible for building the Carrot Strategy team from 3 to 15 members. Before joining Carrot, Asif held various strategy roles at branding, experiential and digital agencies after first starting his career in market research.
 
Gunatilaka’s background in journalism will allow him to bring an audience-first perspective to Attention’s storytelling capabilities. Previously, as associate director of content and social strategy at KBS, he helped launch the digital magazine IQ by Intel, among other branded content platforms. Before that, he served as head of content innovation at OMD where he oversaw GE’s foray into podcasts and virtual reality. Earlier in his career, he was a journalist for publications including Entertainment Weekly, SPIN and Paper Magazine.
 
Krantz has built a reputation for his ability to create authentic conversations and experiences for brands. As creative director at Attention, he is making an immediate impact on the creative department, including the agency’s own rebranding efforts. For nearly a decade, Krantz has led and developed groundbreaking campaigns across digital, social, traditional and experiential platforms for clients including Mercedes-Benz, American Express, Citibank and P&G. Previously, Krantz served as associate creative director at Tribal Worldwide and Publicis.
 
Attention recently launched an L.A.-based influencer studio, Meat & Produce, dedicated to leveraging the craft of a raw creator base, fostering brand collaborations and helping the influencer community build a business around their talent.

  • Friday, Oct. 28, 2016
Al Cleland promoted to managing director of Deluxe’s EFILM
Al Cleland
LOS ANGELES -- 

Al Cleland has been named managing director of Deluxe’s EFILM, leading digital color, finishing, and location services for the creative company servicing feature films, episodics and trailers. He’s been promoted from his post as VP over the past eight years at the helm of EFILM’s trailers business.

Cleland is a 30-year veteran of the postproduction business. He started his career at Editel and joined CIS, which later became EFILM, as one of the company’s original employees. He served as sr. VP and general manager at Technicolor Creative Services for 10 years, and at Postworks, Los Angeles, returning to EFILM as VP of trailers. He has worked at every level of postproduction from tape assistant to senior executive, with a strong track record for delivering the highest quality images and consistently positive client experiences. 
 
“Al’s career speaks for itself,” said John Paulson, Deluxe president of Features and Advertising Post. “He’s a respected thought leader within the industry and a trusted and admired manager throughout Deluxe. He’s a forward thinker who has built and led many successful teams and businesses with foresight, rock-solid execution, and the flexibility that allows new ideas flourish. He’s an ideal leader for EFILM.”

  • Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016
Carmichael Lynch hires Lachlan Badenoch as chief strategy officer
Lachlan Badenoch
MINNEAPOLIS -- 

Lachlan Badenoch has joined Carmichael Lynch as the agency’s chief strategy officer.

Badenoch comes aboard Carmichael Lynch after a nearly 20-year strategic track record, most recently running an independent consultancy and working at Minneapolis-based strategy agency Zeus Jones, where he lent his extensive cross-discipline global experience to drive business thinking and marketing innovations for clients such as Nestle, GMI, Purina and others.
 
Badenoch was previously based in Paris directing global strategy for Publicis Groupe’s multi-market, multi-agency clients, including Nestlé and Orange. Before that, he spent time at Fallon Minneapolis where he served as planning director on the BMW, Brawny and Purina accounts. He started his strategy career at Leo Burnett London, where he helped pioneer digital and brand entertainment projects for Heinz, Nintendo, McDonald’s, Virgin, and other major brands.

“The opportunity for brands today necessitates not just integrated thinking, but the ability to execute truly interdependent actions and ideas that aren’t bound by traditional definitions – they must span business decisions and marketing touchpoints,” said Badenoch.  “I’m proud to be able to join a team where we have world class analytics, strategic thinking, creative, media and PR capabilities all organized as one interdependent team, under one roof. That means we can not only help identify the right thing to do for our clients’ businesses, but actually help them do it brilliantly.”

  • Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016
MEC Wavemaker promotes Ben Bradley to head of sports & entertainment
Pictured (l-r) are: Angela Soteriou, Ben Bradley and Terri Squibb
LONDON -- 

MEC Wavemaker has boosted its senior team with a series of promotions, including Ben Bradley as its new head of sports & entertainment partnerships.
 
Bradley, previously a business director, will lead sports and entertainment partnerships across all clients.
 
Bradley’s appointment is a result of the expansion and growth of MEC Wavemaker’s content led approach in sport and entertainment partnership activation. He reports to MEC Wavemaker managing director Matt Davies.
 
MEC Wavemaker has also promoted Terri Squibb and Angela Soteriou, account directors in the Content Partnerships team, to business directors.
 
Squibb will lead the Colgate-Palmolive, Henkel and B&Q accounts within Wavemaker, while Soteriou will lead Vodafone, Beiersdorf, and Lloyds Banking Group. They both report to head of content partnerships Damien Gillman.

  • Monday, Oct. 24, 2016
Maria Smith upped to ECD at M&C Saatchi LA
M&C Saatchi LA's (l-r) Kate Bristow, Maria Smith and Huw Griffith
LOS ANGELES -- 

Maria Smith has been promoted from creative director to executive creative director at M&C Saatchi LA. As ECD, Smith will lead M&C Saatchi LA’s creative team and initiatives. She will also work closely with founders, CEO/partner Huw Griffith and chief strategy officer Kate Bristow, to direct the agency’s creative voice and output. 

Smith has been a creative director, associate CD and copywriter for 12 years, nearly 10 of which have been with M&C Saatchi LA. She started her creative career as a copywriter at TBWA\Tequila, with a focus on digital advertising. She then became part of an integrated team at TBWA\Chiat\Day, where she worked on Nissan, Infiniti, Sony and Energizer. While at M&C Saatchi, she has contributed to award-winning campaigns for the San Diego Zoo and Epson.

  • Monday, Oct. 24, 2016
Light Iron names Josh Haynie VP of U.S. Operations
Josh Haynie
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- 

Light Iron--a leading postproduction solutions provider and member of the Panavision family of companies--has appointed veteran post professional Josh Haynie to the newly created role of VP of U.S. Operations. Based in Light Iron’s flagship Hollywood facility, Haynie will be responsible for leveraging the company’s resources across Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans, and future locations.
 
“Light Iron has experienced significant growth since being acquired by Panavision,” said Peter Cioni, the company’s CFO. “To continue on this trajectory, we’re bringing in a leader to assist us with navigating the complexities that commonly impact larger businesses. Josh’s experience is unmatched:  he has strong operational and managerial skills, as well as deep client relationships, which will enable Light Iron to continue to grow and be a leader in the industry.”
 
Haynie joins Light Iron after 13 years at EFILM, where, as managing director, he maintained direct responsibility for all aspects of the company’s operations including EC3 (on-location services), facility dailies, trailers, digital intermediate, home video, and restoration. Haynie managed a team of 100+ employees, and more than 650 digital intermediates were completed under his watch. Previously, Haynie held positions at Sunset Digital, Octane/Lightning Dubs, Sunset Post, and other production and post companies. Haynie is an Associate Member of the ASC, and is also actively involved in the HPA, SMPTE, and VES.
 
Haynie noted that it is an exciting time to join Light Iron: “From the expansion of Light Iron’s episodic services and NY facilities to the development of the color science in the new Millennium DXL camera, it is clear that the integration of Panavision and Light Iron brings significant benefits to clients. I look forward to working with the entire team to further elevate a level of service that is unprecedented in our industry.”
 
Panavision CEO Kim Snyder added, “The addition of Josh Haynie comes at a key moment in the overall growth of Panavision. We are committed to providing a full portfolio of innovative, creative solutions throughout the production and post process.”

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