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.
Great Guns Signs Director Finn McGough
Great Guns has signed commercial, documentary and drama director Finn McGough for representation in the U.S., Middle East and Asia.
McGoughโs commercial portfolio features a wide array of brands spanning Volkswagen, Marks & Spencer, McDonaldโs, E45, Shredded Wheat, Lloyds, Budweiser, and more. His appreciation for human stories shines throughout--for McCain, he crafted a heartfelt celebration of all types of diverse families; for Nokia, he followed a day in the life of the oldest active hockey player; for Cancer Research UK, he uncovered the way children are influenced by cigarette packaging, earning a Bronze Arrow and Silver Clio. In addition to further British Arrows accolades, McGough has also won a D&AD Pencil and two APA Top 50 accreditations.
As a documentary director, McGough has traveled across continents, making Lonely Planet guides in Kenya and Italy, and even being blindfolded and dropped in Azerbaijan for Channel 4โs Lost adventure series. His subsequent observational BBC films, The Professional Charmer and Summer With The Johnsons, picked up a PRIX EUROPA for Best Non-Fiction Film and a Royal Television Society Breakthrough Talent nomination.
In the drama realm, McGough was nominated for Best Film and Best Cinematography at the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival for his short Flak, based on a story by Alan Sillitoe.
McGough said of Great Guns, โTheir reputation as a global producer of fine and varying work says it all, so Iโm looking forward to exciting times ahead (and to finally having a drink at their London pub--bonus!)โ
Michel Waxman, managing executive producer at Great Guns in the U.S., added, โFinnโs passion for incredibly relatable storytelling... Read More