Design studio and creative agency Imaginary Forces has brought Matthew Barish aboard as chief operating officer. With over 12 years of experience in managing the four Ps–people, process, profit, and production–Barish is the first COO in the L.A.-based company’s 26-year history.
Barish believes in empowering talent and organizations to push beyond preconceived boundaries and breakthrough to new levels of delivery, growth, and expansion. “The greater good isn’t only the company, but the people. Imaginary Forces has strong creatives; it’s simply the culture. I’m looking forward to helping to promote every voice within the company – getting people happy about what they're doing and excited about their potential and growth at IF.”
Chip Houghton, managing director and co-founder of Imaginary Forces, said, “Today we see new, gigantic opportunities to connect and engage audiences. Matthew has joined the Forces as COO to lead, streamline, and execute the studio’s vision of what we believe is possible. I’m thrilled and grateful. This is one of those moments.”
Peter Frankfurt, executive creative director and co-founder, added, “Matthew has what it takes to help make Imaginary Forces the very best version of itself. It’s exciting to have him join the team at such an interesting moment in our story."
Prior to joining Imaginary Forces, Barish was sr. talent manager at R/GA for a year-long tenure. Before that he worked as a freelance project manager, talent recruiting, and resource manager for five-and-a-half years. Prior to that, Barish was operations manager at The Mill. He holds a B.A. in History from Columbia University and an M.B.A. from University of Oregon–Charles H. Lundquist College of Business.
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
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