DDB Worldwide has announced that its worldwide chief creative officer Amir Kassaei will be establishing DDB's global creative centre in Shanghai.
A move reinforcing DDB's ongoing commitment and investment into the Asian region, it is believed to be the first time a global, Madison Avenue agency has moved its creative headquarters to China.
This move complements John Zeigler's (chairman & CEO of DDB Group Asia Pacific, India & Japan) re-location to Singapore in December, 2011. Patrick Rona, former president of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for Tribal DDB Worldwide and chief digital officer for DDB Group EMEA, now Tribal DDB Asia Pacific's new president and chief digital officer for DDB Group Asia Pacific, also moved to Singapore in January of this year.
Says Zeigler: "We're very honoured to have our global creative centre in Asia. World-class brands are moving here and they deserve world-class creative they have become accustomed to. Amir, with our top creative talent across the region, will deliver just this. I'm sure of it."
"DDB Group Asia Pacific now has three core regional hubs - Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. Amir's move makes China the centre piece for our global creative work."
Says Chuck Brymer, CEO, DDB Worldwide: "This is one of the most significant moves we have made in the history of DDB. The world as we know it is changing and our industry's growth market is now without doubt the Asian region. Move over New York, London, Paris. Hello Shanghai, Mumbai, Singapore. With this in mind, there's no time better to set up our creative powerhouse in China."
Appointed DDB Worldwide Chief Creative Officer in February 2011, Kassaei is one of the most lauded creatives in the world. Amir and his teams are the recipients of more than 2,000 national and international awards, including 40 Cannes Lions in the past five years. he was named The Big Won Report's 'Top Chief Creative Officer' in 2009, and has been selected as The Big Won's 'Top 3 Chief Creative Officers' for each of the last three years.
In 2003, Kassaei joined DDB as Chief Creative Officer and Associate Partner of DDB Germany, where he quickly helped reshape the agency. As the youngest DDB Chief Creative Officer in Europe, he quickly transformed it into one of the most creative and successful agencies in Germany. Under Amir's leadership, DDB Germany has also been ranked as the most awarded German agency in the Gunn Report.
During his tenure at DDB Germany, Amir founded and established Tribal DDB Germany as a modern, multichannel agency. He is currently based in New York, and his move to Shanghai is imminent.
