Graham Fink departs M&C Saatchi London for chief creative officer role at Ogilvy China

Ogilvy & Mather has hired one of London’s top creative directors and the 2011 UK Creative Circle President’s Award winner, Graham Fink, as their chief creative officer for China.

The multi-award winning creative and film director moves from his current position as ECD, M&C Saatchi London to CCO, Ogilvy & Mather China. Fink will be based in Shanghai.

Says Fink: “M&C Saatchi is a fantastic agency and I have really enjoyed my time there. The people are dizzyingly smart and enabled me to build a great creative department. It is now time for my next big challenge – and what could be bigger than Ogilvy & Mather China?

“I’m delighted to take on the challenge of managing Ogilvy’s largest operation in Asia and their third largest market worldwide,” added Fink.

Ogilvy is continuously ranked number one in the China Creative Agency Scope Report, which is published biennially by Grupo Consultores Europe and R3 Asia, an independent consultancy focussed on improving marketing efficiency and effectiveness.

Says Tham Khai Meng, worldwide chief creative officer of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide: “Graham will take us to the next lap. His elevation to the position of CCO of Ogilvy & Mather China is inevitable in a way, since his success in the UK has become legendary, and is unmatched by anyone else that I know. A massively talented art-director who is a wonderful inspirer of people, he is probably the most passionate, hardest-working and totally focused adman in this business. I am absolutely thrilled with the prospect of working with Fink.”

Added Eugene Cheong, Regional ECD, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific: “China is a big boat. We’ve got a big engine in Graham.”

“Graham is a truly unique character,” said Shenan Chuang, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Greater China. “He has an extremely broad base of experience as a nurturer of emerging talent, as well as a creative leader and inspirer. We have taken our time in finding Graham and are delighted he is joining us.”

Fink has most recently become known for his work on Dixons in the UK titled ‘Sandals/Middle England/Piers’, which won a D&AD Pencil, Gold and Bronze Lions at Cannes, the Epica D’or and a clutch of awards at Campaign’s Big Awards. This work has catapulted him to the top of the 2010 world creative rankings in The Gunn Report for Print.

He is also famous for world-renowned work on Land Rover, Hamlet and British Airways’ ‘FACE’ commercial. A veteran of iconic agencies CDP and Saatchi & Saatchi, Fink has become one of the most recognised faces in British advertising.

Ogilvy & Mather China is home to the nation’s only D&AD Pencil and has consistently been voted the number one creative agency in China by The Gunn Report and Campaign Brief Asia. Not only is it China’s number one creative shop, but also the most effective.

“Ogilvy in China has an enviable reputation and we believe Graham will help launch China as a truly global creative force. We are well positioned to take the next huge leap forward. Indeed, exciting times ahead,” said Paul Heath, Regional CEO of Ogilvy & Mather in Asia Pacific.

Preview all Graham Fink’s work