McCann Worldgroup has promoted Suzanne Powers to global president McCann Worldgroup and chief strategy officer. Powers will expand her global responsibilities to drive the McCann Worldgroup brand and business both inside and outside the organization. This includes continuing to cultivate best-in-class work while driving the cultural and business transformation necessary to modernize all of the offerings for clients and prospects alike.
Bill Kolb, the incoming CEO of McCann Worldgroup, said, “As we work together to navigate the impact of transformation currently underway in the global marketplace, Suzanne’s rich enterprise knowledge and her ability to interpret and develop new models of innovation will be critical for Worldgroup and essential as we seek to accelerate our ability to create growth opportunities for our clients.”
Kolb added, “Suzanne’s skills are ideal for supporting our clients’ growth as well as supporting the development of the future state of McCann Worldgroup.”
Powers, as global chief strategy officer, will continue to lead the strategic development for the network and its clients. This encompasses worldwide leadership of the strategic talent and resources that drive idea development for creative solutions across all platforms. Her oversight also includes Truth Central, McCann Worldgroup’s global proprietary intelligence unit focused on unearthing macro-level cultural, societal and human understanding to drive impact for clients’ brands.
“I am pleased to see Suzanne take an expanded role with McCann Worldgroup. Her success in driving us to become recognized as the most creatively effective network in the world, three times over, speaks directly to the value she provides to our clients in helping them grow through a strategic understanding of their business combined with breakthrough creativity,” said Harris Diamond, the current Chairman & CEO, McCann Worldgroup.
Under Powers’ strategic leadership, McCann Worldgroup was recognized by the Global Effie Effectiveness Index as the most Creatively Effective Network three Years in a Row (2018, 2019, 2020) and was named the #1 advertising agency network for creative effectiveness in the 2020 WARC Effective 100 rankings.
Powers joined McCann Worldgroup in 2013 from Crispin Porter + Bogusky, where she served as global strategy officer and led the global development of the agency, working across all CP+B offices and brands. Before joining CP+B, she led global brand strategy at TBWA for more than 10 years, helping to develop the Disruption philosophy and practice worldwide.
Latest Crop of VES Fellows Unveiled
The Visual Effects Society (VES) has announced the Society’s newest VES Fellows, who will be celebrated with the other honorees at a special VES Honors event later this month. This year’s venerated VES Fellows who will be bestowed with the post-nominal letters “VES” are: Matt Aitken, Girish Balakrishnan, Randall Balsmeyer, Michael Conte, Lisa Cooke, Bryan Grill, Thomas Knop, Arnon Manor and Susan Rowe.
VES 2024 Fellows
VES Fellow Matt Aitken, VES. Aitken has been an integral part of Weta FX since it first opened its doors. With two Oscar nominations and five VES Award wins, including the top award of Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature for Avengers: Infinity War, Aitken’s versatility and creative talent are foundational to the studio’s success. As head of visual effects, Aitken leads Weta FX’s artists across three countries, and is responsible for filmmaker and studio relationships. Prior to assuming this executive role, Aitken was one of Weta FX’s most experienced visual effects supervisors on projects including Avengers: Endgame, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Marvel’s Eternals. Aitken has been an active VES member for 20 years. He was instrumental in establishing the New Zealand VES Section in 2011, the 5th VES Section to be created, and was New Zealand Section chair for its first five years of operation.
VES Fellow Girish Balakrishnan, VES. Balakrishnan has more than a decade of experience driving business studio strategies, business development and production innovation across live action, animation and games. As director of creative innovation at Netflix, Balakrishnan leads the content & production studio investment strategy on the application of... Read More