Creative agency network Droga5 has appointed Emma Montgomery as global chief strategy officer. She is the third global appointment for the agency this year, with Pelle Sjoenell named worldwide chief creative officer this past March, and global CEO Mark Green recently appointed this fall. Montgomery will be responsible for connecting and supercharging Droga5’s strategy and creative offerings globally. She will be based in its headquarters in New York City.
“Emma is a world-class strategic leader and authority that I’ve long admired and dreamt of being partners-in-crime with,” said Sjoenell. “Her work inspires the creativity that connects people and brands in ways that move business and culture forward, so I’m excited to finally be able to work with her alongside Mark, and to see her lead and further strengthen our leadership and strategy teams around the world.”
Montgomery joins Droga5 after serving as CEO of DDB Chicago. She’s been in the industry for over 20 years, and has served in several high-level leadership positions throughout her career, including as president and CSO of Leo Burnett Chicago, global CSO of TBWA, and CEO of Leo Burnett Australia. She’s also worked across a breadth of categories and multiple global clients such as Kraft, Aldi, Diageo and Molson Coors, among many others, including challenger brands and startups.
“I’m excited to join Droga5 and have the opportunity to help carve out a new path for the brand globally, building on its tremendous legacy of creative leadership,” said Montgomery. “The potential of Droga5, combined with the possibilities of Accenture Song, was too exciting to pass up. No other agency has what they have, and as marketing shifts, the chance to make creativity a genuine partner to business is real here. I’m eager to return to my strategy roots and work with Pelle, Mark and our network of Drogans to show the world the force that creativity can be.”
Montgomery’s multidisciplinary background across business, creative, media, experience design and data and analytics makes her uniquely placed to navigate the current disconnected marketing environment for agencies, clients and consumers alike. Overall, her leadership has resulted in work that has been recognized throughout the industry awards circuit, including at Cannes, D&AD, One Show, and The Clios.
“I’m delighted that Emma will complete our new Droga5 global leadership lineup, along with Pelle and Mark, and that our clients and our people will get to benefit from the huge contribution she will make to their business and to what we do,” said Annette King, global lead, Marketing Practice, Accenture Song. “She has one of the most interesting, varied, brave and relevant backgrounds of anyone in her field and she is beyond match fit for today’s world and the opportunities it presents to us.”
Montgomery’s appointment comes at a time of significant global growth and integration for Droga5. This year, Accenture Song and Droga5 further strengthened the agency’s presence in key global markets by completing the acquisition of SOKO, a renowned Brazilian creative agency. With this acquisition, Droga5 São Paulo emerged as a central player in the Latin American market, reinforcing the agency’s ability to deliver data-driven creativity and culturally resonant storytelling across diverse global audiences. In August, Accenture Song and Droga5 continued its strategic expansion by announcing the rebrand of The Monkeys, an award-winning agency with offices in Australia and New Zealand, under the Droga5 banner. The Monkeys, known for its innovation and commercial creativity, will operate as Droga5 starting on December 1.
Droga5 recently won long-term AOR partnerships with Bosch and Tourism Australia, and was appointed the experiential agency partner for Max to promote “Dune: Prophecy” this fall. The agency also worked with the United Nations Foundation to launch its “Once Upon a Future” campaign that debuted during this year’s UN General Assembly in New York City.
