Managing director Lynn Power has been promoted to president of J Walter Thompson New York. She will partner with Adam Kerj, incoming chief creative officer of J. Walter Thompson New York, to lead the agency’s flagship NY office. Together they will be responsible for driving industry-leading creative work, and the overall strategic direction and growth of J. Walter Thompson New York.
Power joined J. Walter Thompson in March 2014 from Arnold New York, where she served as president and managing partner. She has been building brands and leveraging creativity as a business tool for the past 25 years, having worked on brands such as American Express, Clinique, Hershey’s, Gillette and L’Oréal. In the five years she ran Arnold New York, she led many new business wins, including 23andMe, Alberto Culver, Del Monte, Kohler and Sanofi. Previously, she held roles at BBDO, Grey New York and Ogilvy & Mather.
Additionally Claire Capeci, managing director of JWT NY, is being promoted to the newly created role of global president, Retail, J. Walter Thompson. Capeci will lead a specialized retail discipline that leverages the company’s deep experience in the category and extends and expands it around the world. In addition to her new global remit, Capeci will continue to lead the Macy’s and Energizer businesses.
Capeci has played an integral role in the agency’s New York leadership team, as well as being global business director for two of the agency’s most pioneering accounts, Macy’s and Energizer. On Macy’s, Capeci served as a force behind some of the most exciting marketing executions for the brand–including the expansion of the holiday classic Macy’s “Yes, Virginia” into a successful franchise, which earned a Gold Lion at Cannes in 2013 and an Effie award in 2014. Energizer has gained praise with the viral hit “Mow the Lawn” for the launch of the Trimstyle, earning a Gold Effie award and Silver Jay Chiat award in 2010. Prior to joining J. Walter Thompson in 2007, Capeci was EVP, managing director at Lowe Worldwide.
Power and Capeci will both report directly to Gustavo Martinez, worldwide CEO, J. Walter Thompson Company.
The aforementioned Kerj will join J. Walter Thompson in early January from digital agency 360i where he served as CCO. Prior to joining 360i, Kerj served as executive creative director and founding partner of Saatchi Sweden. Before that, he was executive creative director and founding partner at TBWA Sweden.
