TBWA Spruces Up with Key Leadership Appointments

The expansion move by TBWA includes three senior promotions and two executive hires across the advertising network’s New York office.

TBWA\Chiat\Day has elevated Aki Spicer (pictured) from Director of Digital Strategy and Content Planning to the newly created role of Chief Digital Officer. The agency has also promoted Executive Director of Engagement, Evan Weissbrot, to Chief Engagement Officer.

Both leads will round out the management team, joining CEO Rob Schwartz, Managing Director Nancy Reyes, Global Business Development Director Kyla Jacobs, and Chief Creative Officer Chris Garbutt. Additionally, Trish Schmitt and Ted Guidotti have been hired as Global Creative Directors.

Also, Group Executive Producer, Jason Souter, has assumed the new position of Head of Integrated Production. Spicer entered the firm in 2013 as Director of Digital Strategy and Content Planning, and has been instrumental in implementing comprehensive, forward-thinking digital and content platforms across all client businesses.

The accounts include GoDaddy, Michelin, and Sport Chek. A key leader within TBWA’s Digital Arts Network, he is responsible for building and enriching the group’s social media capabilities and has been a key digital lead for new business. Prior to TBWA, he was Director of Digital Strategy at Fallon.

Weissbrot will work to involve the network’s clients in culture through continuous transformation of cultural insights and data into exciting, new creative territories, positioning audience needs and passions at the heart of strategic delivery and content experiences.

He was formerly Global Account Director at OMD, where he was tasked with media investment strategy for Nissan. He also served as U.S. Vice President, Group Director for media and communications planning on BMW and Verizon Wireless.

Schmitt and Guidotti joined TBWA after three years at mcgarrybowen New York, where they developed brand campaigns for flagship clients including Chevron, JPMorgan Chase, and Roundabout Theatre Company. The team founded and served as Creative Directors at Mighty Splinter, their proprietary creative collaboration.

“Elevating Evan and Aki to our agency management team, and deepening our executive-level bench with key players like Trish, Ted and Jason reflects our commitment to people who look at the business differently – and have a track record and desire to create powerful ideas in smart, modern ways,” said Schwartz.