Full-service business agency GALE has hired 18-year Razorfish veteran Patrick Frend as managing director. Frend will be joining GALE’s global management team to help shape the agency’s service offering and grow its global business. Frend will be reporting to GALE’s president and CEO Brad Simms.
“GALE’s connected agency and consultancy offering is a great fit for Pat–a former management consultant and agency veteran with vast expertise across automotive, financial services, CPG, travel, and retail,” said Simms.
Prior to joining GALE, Frend served as president, East Region of Razorfish, managing its New York, Atlanta, and Toronto business. In this role, he handled a $150-million P&L and oversaw more than 600 employees, working with clients including: Mercedes-Benz, Ford Motor Company, UNIQLO, Delta Airlines, Unilever, and Citibank.
“GALE’s seamless integration of business consulting and creative expertise, along with the agency’s long-term vision, inspired me to join the team” said Frend. “Many aspire to adopt that model, but GALE pioneered it three and half years ago and has proven its value out with brands including BMW, BMO, and Genting. GALE is about the same size and age as the organization I joined the last time I made a change 18 years ago; I look forward to looking back on how I’ve contributed to GALE 18 years from now.”
Headquartered in New York with offices in Toronto and Bangalore, GALE brings together the strongest aspects of the agency and consultancy models and supports this through proprietary data and insights platforms including ASK GALE and ALCHEMY. GALE’s clients include: BMW, Bank of Montreal, Allstate, MGM, Hain Celestial, Genting, and David’s Bridal.
Matthew Forrest Launches Commercial/Branded Content Production Company Cloud Forest
Producer Matthew Forrest has officially launched Cloud Forest, a Los Angeles-based video production company specializing in commercials and branded content, with additional capabilities in emerging formats like AI and VR.
With the mantra “Where your vision meets our production precision,” Cloud Forest aims to serve brands, agencies and networks with a blend of creativity and operational efficiency.
Forrest brings over 20 years of experience to Cloud Forest. His portfolio includes producing commercial content for Square, Aveeno, and Lyft, branded content series for KitchenAid, Pizza Hut, and Verizon, and projects like Mariah Carey’s “Keys of Christmas.” Forrest’s career highlight came at Endemol Shine, where he earned a Sports Emmy in 2018 for producing Life VR’s “Capturing Everest.”
“Leveraging my varied experiences in both traditional and digital formats, I’m excited to create content across a wide array of platforms with the partners I admire,” said Forrest. “Our focus is on delivering excellence in commercials and branded content, while also offering cutting-edge solutions in AI and VR when appropriate for our clients’ needs.”
Cloud Forest’s talent roster currently features long-time Forrest collaborators such as commercial directors Ben Pluimer, Michael Belcher, Clyde Bessey, Christopher Louie and Kevin K. Shah; director/photographer Shawn Corrigan; photographers Gabriela Oltean and Will Deleon; and creative directors Natalie Perry and Drew Grossman. The studio’s strength lies in curating the right team and accurately defining the necessary resources--budget, roles, and technology--allowing every project to meet its creative and business goals.
This approach has earned praise from industry... Read More