McGarrah Jessee (McJ) has hired Tim Roan as chief creative officer. He joins the indie agency’s executive leadership team, which includes CEO Britton Upham, chief engagement officer Melissa Fodo and chief strategy officer Jen Hruska. 

Most recently, Roan served as executive creative director at travel lifestyle brand Away. Previously, he was executive creative director at Lyft, one of McJ’s clients. 

Upham said, “We’re excited to attract a talent like Tim to join McJ and to bring him back to the agency world. After working together on the Lyft business and seeing how much our teams were inspired by and respected Tim, it made our decision much easier.” 

Before his tour on the client side, Roan held various creative leadership roles at advertising agencies including Wieden+Kennedy Portland, BBDO New York, Mullen and FCB New York. 

“The momentum and energy at McJ is palpable,” said Roan. “We get to work with some super interesting, super loved brands and smart, collaborative clients every day. Yes, and, the agency is steeped in craft – which is a rarity in our industry and something I got to see firsthand as a client. That’s why I feel lucky to be here. My job is simple: We have to break through if we want to build our clients’ businesses. To get there, my goal is to empower our teams to make fun work (and have fun doing it) that provides value and makes our clients famous. I believe in ‘right place, right people, right time.’ I’m excited to make great work together.” 

Throughout his career, Roan has worked with a diverse range of brands including TurboTax, GE, Samsung, FedEx, and Life Savers, to name a few. Along the way, his work has been recognized by the ADC Awards, ADDY Awards, Archive, Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, D&AD Awards, Epica Awards, Mercury Awards, London International Awards, New York Festivals, Webby Awards, and the One Show, among others. 

McJ’s client roster includes Lyft, Whataburger, Citi Bike, Orvis, Costa Sunglasses and Frost Bank.