Ad agency Modernista! has tabbed Matt Howell to assume its presidency and Alex Hesz to serve as managing director. Howell and Hesz will be part of a management team alongside Sebastian Gard, director of social media, and creative directors Davi Liu and Xavier Teo. Modernista! founders/executive creative directors Gary Koepke and Lance Jensen will continue to be the driving creative and cultural forces behind the agency.
Said Koepke, “Under my interim presidency, we cast aside the old agency model and became something much more valuable; a true creative agency, not a channel shop. So as Lance and I step aside to go back to what we do best — shaping the ‘product’ of Modernista! — we’re trusting in a leadership team which is in itself an illustration of how Modernista! is different.”
Howell is a leader in agenda-setting marketing strategy who has worked on brands from Sony to Prada, Nike, Ericsson, Cingular and more. He arrived at Modernista! as chief interactive officer to run the interactive practice, where his first act was to dissolve the group, integrating interactive thinking into the heart of the agency’s offering. Howell had previously been a group director at R/GA where he ran the Nike+ project, and was recently named to the board of directors of Boulder Digital Works, where he is an ever-present speaker.
Hesz joined Modernista! as client services director in June before being promoted to managing director. He was previously at DDB London where he ran the Nestle UK business and the Guardian newspaper’s digital account. While at BBH, Hesz oversaw brands including British Airways and Johnnie Walker, and worked on two campaigns recognized with Cannes Gold Lions.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt Reach Divorce Settlement After 8 Years
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement, ending one of the longest and most contentious divorces in Hollywood history but not every legal issue between the two.
Jolie and Pitt signed off on a default declaration filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, saying they have entered into a written agreement on their marital and property rights. The settlement was first reported by People magazine.
"More than eight years ago, Angelina filed for divorce from Mr. Pitt," Jolie's attorney, James Simon, said in a statement. "She and the children left all of the properties they had shared with Mr. Pitt, and since that time she has focused on finding peace and healing for their family. This is just one part of a long ongoing process that started eight years ago. Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over."
The filing says they give up the right to any future spousal financial support, but gives no other details. A judge will need to sign off on the agreement. An email late Monday night to Pitt's attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.
Jolie, 49, and Pitt, 61, were among Hollywood's most prominent pairings for 12 years, two of them as a married couple. The Oscar winners have six children together.
Jolie filed for divorce in 2016, after a private jet flight from Europe during which she said Pitt physically abused her and their children. The FBI and child services officials investigated Pitt's actions on the flight. Two months later, the FBI released a statement saying it would not investigate further, and the U.S. attorney did not bring charges.
A heavily redacted FBI report obtained by The Associated Press in 2022 said that an agent provided a probable cause... Read More