Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has appointed Katherine Oliver as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting, New York. She replaces Patricia Reed Scott, who held the post from 1983 to ’90 and from ’94 to 2002. Prior to her appointment, Oliver served as general manager of Bloomberg Radio and Television International….Director Dave Borthwick, founder of and principal in the Bristol, U.K.-based studio Bolexbrothers, has joined ka-chew!, the Hollywood-based live-action commercial division of animation studio Klasky Csupo, for exclusive representation in the U.S.….Bicoastal Villains has added a pair of comedy directors to its roster: Axel Laubscher and Bjorn Stein….John Bonito, a director/creative at NBC’s in-house agency, has secured representation as a spot helmer with Hollywood-based Level 7….Director Nick Egan, fomerly of now defunct Cognito Films, is working out of Los Angeles-based Arsenal. Most recently, he helmed a music video for Splender’s "Save It for Later," which Arsenal produced….Editor Jack Douglas has joined Crew Cuts/West, Santa Monica. He comes over from Santa Monica-based The Mint….The Whitehouse has added a couple of editors to its roster in Chicago: Melanie Barter, formerly of The Whitehouse, Santa Monica; and Patrick Burns, formerly of Northern Lights Post, New York. Burns is slated to join The Whitehouse effective July 1. The Whitehouse maintains full-service shops in London, New York, Chicago and Santa Monica….Director Jesus Rodriguez has signed with International Legacy Films, a Los Angeles-based spot/music video house under the aegis of executive producer Michelle Colbert….Cibolo Films, San Antonio, Texas, has signed director Elyse Lewin for representation in the U.S. Hispanic market. Lewin continues to maintain her Los Angeles-based Lewin Pictures for general-market assignments….Barbara Gans Russo, formerly head of broadcast production at Publicis, New York, has been named president of New York operations for The Albert Company, a provider of celebrity talent and popular music rights for advertisers….Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman have launched Sea Spot Run, a commercial/music video shop in North Miami….
Nikki Baker Becomes CEO At Fallon
Fallon has appointed Nikki Baker as its new CEO. Baker, who joined the creative agency in 2018 and has served as co-chief creative officer with Leslie Shaffer since 2021, succeeds Rocky Novak, who has been in the role since 2019.
Baker’s promotion to CEO comes at a time of significant momentum for the agency, including six consecutive years of growth and award-winning work.
Baker’s recent career highlights include creatively leading the Walmart partnership with the Publicis Groupe team and spearheading innovative campaigns such as the award-winning “RomCommerce” 23-episodic series and the internet-breaking Mean Girls campaign, among hundreds of other campaigns together with the brand over the past few years. Together with Shaffer, Baker has also been instrumental in elevating Fallon’s creative output for longstanding clients like Arby’s, Mattress Firm, and Front Door/American Home Shield.
“I’ve always been an admirer of Fallon, even before I joined. The chance to lead the agency is an absolute honor. Fallon is a place like no other with amazing talent and a legacy of building big, innovative, creative ideas,” said Baker. “Rocky has represented the best of Fallon. He’s been a great leader, and I couldn’t be more excited to take the reins and lead the agency through to the next chapter. With creativity at our core, we’re going to be as ambitious as ever, push boundaries, and continue embracing emerging platforms to deliver work that truly resonates in culture.”
Prior to joining Fallon six years ago, Baker held positions as creative director and art director at agencies including DDB and GSD&M, working with major brands such as McDonald’s, Southwest Airlines, and Wrigley. Her work has been recognized by... Read More