Former JWT global CCO Matt Eastwood named global chief creative officer of McCann Health – replaces fellow Aussie expat Jeremy Perrott

| | 4 Comments

Matt Eastwood PR 5-web.jpg

Aussie expat Matt Eastwood has been named Global Chief Creative Officer of McCann Health, replacing fellow Aussie expat Jeremy Perrott, who departed the network mid last year. 

Eastwood, who departed the Worldwide Chief Creative Officer role at J. Walter Thompson in March last year, brings a track record of all-around creative leadership to a growing health and wellness industry sector where both consumer and professional communications are increasingly embracing the global and digital expertise shared by all marketers.

“Matt is an immense talent, but an even better human. He is exactly the kind of global creative leader we need at this moment to continue McCann Health’s growth and commitment to do meaningful work for our brand partners,” said Rob Reilly, Global Creative Chairman of McCann Worldgroup.

Eastwood’s career has spanned numerous agencies, specialties and countries, including Australia, the UK and US. He has been Executive Creative Director at M&C Saatchi both in Melbourne and London before moving to the US as Chief Creative Officer at Y&R New York. He then moved to Sydney as DDB’s Vice Chairman and National Creative Director in Australia and then joined DDB New York as Chief Creative Officer before leaving for JWT in 2014. In 2016, he led JWT to an historic year at Cannes, winning a total of 80 Lions, more than the agency had ever won in their 150-year history.

 

In taking on his creative leadership role at McCann Health, Eastwood joins a network that has been recognized as a global creative leader. In 2017, it won an unprecedented total of three Network of the Year titles from the industry’s top three creative award shows — at the Clio Health awards, at the London International Awards, and for the second year in a row at the Cannes Lions Health Awards.

 

“Our health, wellness, and pharma clients across the board are increasingly looking at a changing landscape in which Matt’s broad background and sterling creative reputation will be of great relevance and value,” said John Cahill, Global CEO of McCann Health. “The challenges and opportunities they are facing are consistent with those running across all of marketing, including the more empowered health consumer, the evolving health delivery system, and the growing influence of data-led marketing.”

 

Matt Eastwood group shot PR 2[1].jpg

During his career Eastwood has led his agencies to numerous creative honours, including Clio Health Network of the Year as well as Campaign Brief Agency of the Year, Spikes Network of the Year, and Campaign magazine Network of the Year.

Under Eastwood J Walter Thompson moved from 15th in the Gunn Report to 7th for each of the last two years; from 14th most awarded network at Cannes to 7th. The agency won more Lions in 2016 than ever in the 152 year history of the company (80 Lions/122 shortlist); was the 2nd most awarded network at D&AD last year; was network for the year at Dubai Lynx; was Health Network of the Year at Clio and 5th most awarded network overall in 2016.         

Says Eastwood: “I’ve been impressed for some time with the creative renaissance that Rob Reilly and his teams have brought to all of McCann Worldgroup. And like many in the business, I’ve been especially aware of some of the outstanding and meaningful creative work that McCann Health in particular has been doing around the world befitting their reputation as one of the world’s most awarded global healthcare communications companies. I am so pleased to be joining this winning team.”

Group shot: McCann Health’s John Cahill (left), Global Chief Executive Officer and Linda Szyper, Global Chief Operations Officer, welcome Matt Eastwood (right) as Global Chief Creative Officer to the agency.