Nancy Reyes is being promoted to CEO of TBWAChiatDay New York.
Reyes takes over full leadership of the agency from Rob Schwartz, who has been CEO since 2015. It’s the latest step in a steady rise since Reyes joined the agency in April 2016 as managing director, becoming president in July 2018. She will report to Troy Ruhanen, CEO, TBWAWorldwide.
Working in partnership with Schwartz and the agency’s executive leadership team, Reyes has led the shop through a resurgent period, growing more than 180% in five years. She has been instrumental in generating new business that leads to enduring client partnerships, such as with Hilton, TD Bank, Facebook and PepsiCo, and in elevating the agency’s creative product. TBWAChiatDay New York was the TBWA collective’s top performing agency at the 2019 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity and the #5 individual office in the world at the last Lions festival.
Amid the pressures of 2020, TBWAChiatDay New York grew, winning new assignments from PepsiCo (Bubly, RISE and Lays), Facebook Oculus and Abbott, and adding more than 60 employees, as the agency helped its clients navigate an unprecedented year and prepare for recovery.
Ruhanen said, “Nancy is an exceptional leader, business partner to our clients and developer of talent. She understands the power of creative ideas in driving unreasonable growth and the importance of empathy in motivating people. Her impact on the New York agency and on our collective has been undeniable. I am confident she will lead our team in New York to an exceptionally strong next chapter.”
Reyes added, “The past five years have been an incredible journey that’s only possible through partnership–with our leadership team, clients, and every person who works at the agency. I am so proud of the creative ideas we’ve brought to life together, the growth of our people and the talent that is making beautiful ideas a reality on behalf of our clients.”
Schwartz, a 20+ year veteran of TBWAChiatDay, and CEO of TBWAChiatDay New York since 2015, is moving into a newly created role as chair of the TBWA New York group, which includes TBWAChiatDay New York, Lucky Generals New York and 180NY. His role as chair comes with the remit to market and grow the three TBWA-affiliated agencies, serving as a resource to their leadership, bringing to bear his knowledge of the TBWA collective, the agencies’ distinct offerings and the synergies between them. While stepping away from day-to-day leadership of TBWAChiatDay New York, he will continue as an advisor and cultural resource for the agency and will also continue to host the award-winning Disruptor Series Podcast he created.
“The turnaround that Rob initiated in 2015 set the foundation for the agency’s success today. He’s been a tremendous mentor and partner to Nancy and the New York agency leadership team. As he steps into this new role, he is uniquely positioned to guide our New York group with his blend of experience as a CEO and CCO, his marketing savvy, mentorship and connectivity in the New York market. He will be invaluable to the agencies and leaders in our New York group,” continued Ruhanen.
“Nancy has been a true partner in rebuilding the agency and she has earned this next step to lead TBWAChiatDay New York. I could not be prouder and more confident in the team we have in place to take the agency to the next level,” said Schwartz. “As I look to new challenges, I am energized about the potential within our New York Group. Now more than ever, brands have a choice in the agencies they work with and three of the best are right here.”
Schwartz continued, “We offer a wealth of talent in different agencies of different size, scale and expertise and in this new role, I’ll be positioned to bring these resources to lots of different clients.”
Reyes joined TBWAChiatDay New York in 2016 and has been instrumental in its turnaround. Her impact on talent and culture within the agency has been equally profound. She has led TBWAChiatDay New York’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, which treat diversity as an agency roster client, with budget, time and talent allocated. In 2018 she created a mentorship and leadership program called Circle of Women, aimed at building a pipeline of women leaders within the agency by offering executive coaching and mentorship to a high potential group of women on the cusp of leadership. Half of the program’s participants are women of color.
Reyes joined the agency from Verizon, where she was VP of marketing creative, responsible for 360-degree creative product for the wireless business, which included advertising, retail and social marketing. Prior to Verizon, she was managing director of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners’ New York office, though much of her advertising career was spent in GS&P’s San Francisco office, where she worked on a variety of accounts, including Adobe, HP, Frito-Lay, Google and Comcast. A graduate of Harvard University, Reyes began her career in New York City at Ogilvy & Mather.
