Rothco | Accenture Interactive has appointed Jen Speirs as the agency’s new executive creative director, a position that has been occupied by Alan Kelly for the past number of years. As part of the reshuffle, Kelly has been appointed to the newly created role of chief creative officer with the agency.
Prior to joining the agency, the Australian-born Speirs was deputy executive creative director with BMF Australia. Prior to BMF, she also worked as creative director with DDB Sydney and has worked with brands like McDonald’s, Carefree, Arnott’s, Berlei, TAL, Bonds, BWS, UN Women and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency. Her work has won awards at NY Festivals, Clio, AWARD, Cannes, Effies, Media Federation, Caples, and Spikes Asia.
“When I look at a lot of Rothco’s work, like JFK Unsilenced, the #takenotice breast cancer campaign on the Molly Malone Statue, Sleeping Flags – it all has that perfect combination of creativity, innovation and craft. So, the opportunity to go and be a part of that, and work with the awesome people I’ve met so far, was far too good to say no to. I can’t wait to get over there and get stuck in,” says Speirs.
According to Rothco’s Alan Kelly: “I am chuffed we have poached someone as incredibly talented as Jen Speirs. I think it’s a testament to the work we are doing in Rothco that we are attracting world-class talent like Jen to these shores. Jen is a super addition to the team as she is both gifted and decent, two qualities we always look for when we hire. I also may have told her that Dublin’s weather is pretty much the same as Sydney’s – hopefully, she hasn’t fact-checked this yet. Welcome, Jen!”
Meanwhile Rothco’s parent, Accenture Interactive has continued its recent acquisition binge with the surprise takeover of Droga5, one of the world’s most innovative and highly respected agencies.
While the financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, it is understood that this is Accenture Interactive’s largest acquisition to date. According to AdAge, the agency reported revenues of $205m in 2017, a 20% increase on 2016. In 2018, it is understood that it achieved similar growth levels, suggesting that the price-tag is likely to have been in excess of $100m.
Founded in 2006, Droga5 has over 500 employees in New York and London.
“This is the start of an exciting new chapter in Droga5’s history. Accenture Interactive is one of the most disruptive forces in the industry, and we have always been a safe space for audacious ideas. I’m confident they are the best partner to grow our business and provide greater opportunities for our clients and our people. Why live off past glories when you can get busy trying to create new ones?” says David Droga, the agency’s founder.
