Advertising agency Doner has appointed Katherine Moncrief as its inaugural chief talent officer. In this newly created role, Moncrief will focus on recruiting and retaining top talent, while also bolstering the overall employee experience and managing Doner’s return-to-office plans. Moncrief will report directly to CEO David DeMuth.
“Investing in key talent remains our top priority at Doner. On the heels of recent new business wins ranging from Johnson & Johnson to Travelocity, scaling up and finding top-tier talent has become more crucial than ever before,” said DeMuth. “A seasoned professional, Katherine has a proven track record of recruiting and retaining the best people. That background, coupled with her understanding of operations across creative agencies, will prove to be essential as we continue to grow.”
Moncrief has spent the last 10 years as EVP, director of talent at Deutsch where she recruited award-winning talent, instituted pipeline strategies, and established and amplified talent initiatives. Her efforts helped scale the agency during an intense period of growth and played a key role in shaping its culture. Prior to Deutsch, she worked in account management at creative shops Anomaly and Mother. Moncrief started her career at DDB and spent time working at Havas in London.
“I look forward to building on the momentum Doner has established this year. I’m coming on at an exciting time, as the agency continues to experience strong growth while rethinking what the future of work looks like post-lockdown,” said Moncrief. “David has a strong vision for the agency’s future that aligns with my passion for building positive environments that allow creatives to pursue their passions and break new ground for clients.”
Moncrief will train existing employees on how to successfully attract talent, as well as interview and onboard new staff members.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More