—VML global CCO Debbi Vandeven assembles her global team.—
By Sabrina Sanchez
VML has revealed its global creative leadership team under global chief creative officer, Debbi Vandeven.
Vandeven was named global CCO of the new entity formed from the merger between VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson in October. She was previously the global chief creative officer of VMLY&R.
She has elevated several creatives from both companies to oversee the creative department of the combined entity globally.
Rafa Pitanguy will serve as deputy global chief creative officer and global chief creative officer for The Coca-Cola Company. The role will be similar to his previous position as deputy global chief creative officer of VMLY&R, where he led creative for Coca-Cola as well as in Brazil.
Kaleeta McDade, who was chief experience design officer at VMLY&R North America, has been elevated to the same role globally, as well as for The Coca-Cola Company. She will continue to lead the agency’s growing experience design team, bringing together creative, technology design and user experience thinking in client work.
Other appointments include Manuel Bordé, who will serve as global chief creative officer of commerce, leading the agency’s creative commerce capability. He was chief creative officer for VMLY&R Commerce.
And Mel Routhier, chief creative officer of VMLY&R, has been promoted to global chief creative officer of health and wellness.
Just one appointment to the global creative leadership team comes from Wunderman Thompson—Bas Korsten, who has been named global chief creative officer, innovation, and co-chief creative officer, EMEA. He had been global chief creative officer of Wunderman Thompson since 2019.
Wunderman Thompson has historically had a bigger presence in Europe than VMLY&R, Vandeven explained, therefore making Korsten a fit for the role. He will be based in Amsterdam.
The appointments come as VML works through the merger, which involves integrating teams and operations across the globe, as well as under one P&L in North America more specifically, explained Vandeven.
“We’ve had digital companies, commerce companies and brand companies come together. So the vision is to integrate these thinkers to create end-to-end work for clients,” she told Campaign US.
The new appointments are the first of a coming overhaul of creative teams across the organization, with more leadership changes to come at the regional levels in North America, Asia and Latin America.
There will also be more changes on VML’s innovation team. So far, Walter Geer, previously chief experience design officer of VML&R, has been named chief creative officer of innovation at North America, according to his LinkedIn. He will report to McDade.
As the new team takes shape, Vandeven said VML is looking at accounts it shares with Wunderman Thompson, such as Ford, and is working to build teams that will allow for a seamless transition.
(Top photo, clockwise from top left: Manuel Bordé, Bas Korsten, Kaleeta McDade, Rafa Pitanguy, Mel Routhier and Debbi Vandeven.) Photo credits: VML, used with permission
A version of this story originally appeared on Campaign UK.
