Global independent creative network GUT is opening an office in Amsterdam, its first in Europe and the seventh in the GUT family. The office is currently being led by Natalia Forster as managing director, Bruno Steffen as head of strategy and Meme Traverso as group account director, who all report to GUT global CEO Andrea Diquez. GUT Amsterdam is already working with Foodora, an online delivery brand owned by Delivery Hero, which is based in Europe, as well as Kraft-Heinz. The news comes in the lead-up to GUT’s five-year anniversary on April 9.
“We love the energy and vibe of Amsterdam, and we couldn’t think of a better city to start GUT Europe,” said Anselmo Ramos, co-founder and creative chairman of GUT. “We’ve been fans of the different agencies here, and have loved the work coming out of Amsterdam. While many people on our leadership team have worked in Europe throughout their careers, we’re excited to learn more about the market, its iconic brands, and of course, its people. After establishing ourselves in the Americas, it’s important for us to build a team with Europe’s best talent. This milestone is also such a great way to celebrate our fifth year as a Network, and we look forward to what’s to come in the next five years.”
Gaston Bigio, co-founder and creative chairman at GUT, added, “We want to become one of the best, most diverse and creative agencies ever in Europe. That will be a never-ending goal. We’re also excited to celebrate Europe’s diversity in its people and cultures, as well as work with the continent’s best talent and brands. And we look forward to learning from established agencies in Europe, becoming their peers and having some friendly competition along the way.”
Originally from Argentina, Forster has been living in the Netherlands for over 15 years, with over 20 years of experience across the advertising industry, including award-winning agencies like 180, Wieden+Kennedy and TBWA, where she spent nine years, leading adidas globally. Steffen previously served as group strategy director at GUT Miami, having worked on its AOR client Philadelphia Cream Cheese, as well as campaigns for Anheuser-Busch InBev’s roster of brands, including Michelob ULTRA. Traverso was previously at GUT Buenos Aires, where she served as international account director working across the agency’s clients including Coca-Cola, Mercado Libre, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Globant and Heinz.
The launch of the Amsterdam office follows the appointment of GUT’s first-ever global CEO, Diquez, as well as its promotion of GUT partners Ricardo Casal and Juan Javier Peña Plaza to NA CCOs and partners last fall. In 2022, GUT also opened its Los Angeles office, which is led by award-winning ECDs Ariel Abramovici and Bruno Acanfora. Their clients include ABI’s Michelob ULTRA, DoorDash and Activision-Blizzard. GUT’s additional offices are located in Miami (its headquarters), Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Toronto and Mexico City.
