Kiwi expat Malcolm Poynton tipped to depart from SapientNitro for global role at Cheil Worldwide
CB Exclusive – Campaign Brief can reveal that Kiwi expat Malcolm Poynton, who is currently the London-based chief creative officer of SapientNitro Europe, is poised to take a global role at Cheil Worldwide, Samsung’s worldwide agency.
At time of writing Poynton (photographed by CB in Cannes last month) could not be contacted but a source close to the situation confirmed he had taken the role, which is expected to be announced officially in the coming weeks.
Poynton joined SapientNitro as its first European chief creative officer in 2010. Before that he was executive creative director of Ogilvy Group UK.
New Zealand-born Poynton started his career by accident when he joineda New Zealand start-up agency. He had a brief stint at BBDO London in1989 before returning to the Antipodes to join Sydney-based OMON.
He was a founding member of M&C Saatchi, where as deputy creativedirector he led the award-winning British Airways ‘Johnny Foreigner’campaign starring PJ O’Rourke, the NatWest ‘trendy wine bar’ work andthe launch of Sky Digital. Following that, he joined Saatchi &Saatchi Australia as executive creative director, where he took theagency to a string of successes, including Cannes Golds, D&ADsilver, Caxton & Folio Grand Prix and ATV Agency of the Year.
He became executive creative director of Ogilvy UK in 2003. During thistime the agency created Dove’s now legendary ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’, Ford’s Evil Twin viral campaign, the much awarded digitalflooding of Second Life and multiple Cannes gold and Grand Prix directawards for Cancer Research UK. Poynton also led the winning globalpitches for DHL, Cow & Gate, Chiquita Fresh Fruit and SAB Milleralong with domestic pitches for Ocado and Cancer Research UK.
At SapientNitro Europe he is a member of the company’s Global Leadership team. Since its inception in 2010, he has helped catapult SapientNitro from Sapient’s tech consultancy roots to become a recognised creative force and the UK’s largest digital agency.
Poynton’s passion is connecting brands with consumers in the most creative and meaningful of ways. Global brands he has worked with include Unilever, American Express, Toyota, British Airways, P&G, Kraft, Coca-Cola, IBM, Vodafone and Adidas. Creative endeavours under his leadership have resulted in more than 100 international creative awards for clients, Agency Of The Year titles for Saatchi & Saatchi, M&CSaatchi, Ogilvy and SapientNitro and have seen Poynton chair, judge and deliver Keynote presentations at international award shows including Cannes Lions, The Clio Awards, D&AD, London International Awards, The International Andy Awards and The Webbys.
Poynton serves as a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, was recently named one of the UK’s Top 100 Digital Innovators, one of Ad Age Magazine’s “World’s Top Ten Digital Minds”, is listed in Campaign Magazine’s Top 20 Creative Leaders, the BIMA Hot 100 and is a member of the NABS executive board, a patron of C.A.L.M. and The Institute of Contemporary Art.
Poynton is also an honorary coach for The New Zealand Yachting Federation and former member of the New Zealand Yachting Team.
4 Comments
Hope he can make a difference. Sounds like they’re paying him a motza. Wish him luck?
Awesome. But I don’t remember his time at Saatchi Sydney in quite as rosy a hue as his PR does.
The day he started as CD at Saatchis Sydney he rounded up the entire creative department and said “You’re all on 3 months notice. Now lets do great ads and HAVE FUN.”
Congratulations Malcolm, well deserved. Shame for Sapient Nitro, good for Chiel.