RKCR/Y&R has completed its senior management triumvirate by promoting Emily James to the role of chief strategy officer.
James, who was previously head of strategy at RKCR/Y&R, joins CEO Jon Sharpe and newly appointed chief creative officer Jonathan Burley on the agency’s executive management team.
James, who reports to Sharpe, will oversee and lead the strategic vision for the agency. She will be replaced in the role of head of strategy by Tamsin Djaba who joined RKCR/Y&R as strategy partner earlier this year from Droja5 and previously was head of innovation at Fallon London.
James has worked at RKCR/Y&R for over 10 years and has helped create award-winning campaigns for brands such as M&S, Virgin Atlantic and the BBC. She has Authored four award-winning IPA Effectiveness papers, including two Golds, for Virgin Atlantic and the Home Office, and two Silvers for Virgin Atlantic and TfL.
James first joined the agency as a sr. planner and was promoted to head of strategy in 2010. Prior to RKCR/Y&R she was at TBWALondon, Walsh Trott Chick Smith and IMP and worked on brands including Abbey, Thomas Cook and Masterfoods.
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More