Iris Worldwide hires a new global chief creative officer with a big agency pedigree

Menno Kluin has spent most of his career working for some of the most notable agency brands in the industry, including Ogilvy, DDB, 360i, Deutsch, and Young & Rubicam. Now he’s taking his talents to a lesser-known creative agency network that he says is “big enough to be dangerous and small enough to be progressive and creative.” Starting next week Kluin becomes global chief creative officer of Iris Worldwide, a 25-year-old network with 10 offices and 1,000 employees and a client roster that includes Samsung, Adidas, Bentley, Pizza Hut, Beiersdorf, IHG and Samsonite. A-List & Creativity Awards Enter for a chance to be recognized as the best in advertising Submit your entry here The global CCO position was previously held by Grant Hunter, who departed the agency a few weeks ago, according to a spokeswoman for Iris. Kluin will report to Ian Millner, co-founder and chair of Iris Worldwide. Kluin was Ogilvy New York’s CCO for more than a year before departing in September 2023. Before that, he was the U.S. CCO at Dentsu International and he was previously CCO at 360i. More news: How to sell creative ideas to risk-averse clients Kluin said he didn’t know Iris’ full history before he was approached for the position and that hopes to elevate its brand. “I was not that familiar with the true stories and the legacy of when [Iris was] just starting up,” Kluin said. The agency really has an “entrepreneurial, rebellious, challenger spirit that lives in the work,” he said. Kluin said he was looking for an agency that was founder-led and had an independent feel and that he found that in Iris, even though it is owned by Cheil Worldwide, which is the 11th largest agency holding company in the world, according to the Ad Age Datacenter. Part of Kluin’s role will be to expand the agency’s social and digital-first offering. The U.K. is Iris’ largest region, with 300 employees. Iris has 250 employees in the U.S. Kluin, who currently resides in New York, plans to work with Iris’ Atlanta office before moving to London by the end of the year. He said living in London has been a dream of his since he graduated from college.

Iris Worldwide hires a new global chief creative officer with a big agency pedigree

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