Derek Green appointed to executive creative director position at Cramer-Krasselt Chicago

March 22 2012, 9:28 am | BY Lynchy | 2 Comments

Pgreen 1.jpgTo follow on from an exclusive report on the CB Blog, Aussie expat Derek Green has been appointed executive creative director for Cramer-Krasselt, the second-largest independent marketing and communications agency in the U.S. with annual billings of more than $1 billion.

Green will be based in their Chicago headquarters office.

At Saatchi & Saatchi Switzerland, he was most recently chief creative officer, overseeing a team of 30 creatives in Zurich and Geneva, where he was based.

In addition to his Gold Lion-winning work  last year at Cannes for Novartis, he was also responsible for blue-chip clients such as Orange  and Procter & Gamble, previously serving as Saatchi & Saatchi’s regional creative director on the account for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA). He’s a recipient of the prestigious P&G Global Brand Building Award for Best Holistic Communication and earned more than 30 international awards alone for his work on Ariel Washing Detergent.

Green started his career in 1994 with Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand, working on clients like HP, Air New Zealand and NZ Breweries before moving back to his native Australia to start his own creative consultancy. After five years, his consultancy merged with Leo Burnett Sydney, where he responsible for international award-winning campaigns for Canon Digital Cameras , Subaru, Kellogg and Heineken.

“This is another example of our continuing commitment to push the level of our work higher and higher,” said Marshall Ross, executive vice president, chief creative officer of Cramer-Krasselt. “Derek has the passion, personality and unique global perspective we were looking for, having helped run two successful agencies in two different countries. Behind his award-winning work for blue-chip clients is a different type of thinker, someone who can take a complex business problem and devise an elegant, engaging and really memorable solution.”

Green will start in August and report to Ross, working closely with EVP/Chief Operating Officer and Chicago General Manager Karen Seamen. He’ll be responsible for overseeing the agency’s growing creative department and guiding the agency’s creative product for clients such as Porsche, Corona Extra, Edward Jones, Heinz and Hilton Hotels International.

Says Green: “After six successful years with Saatchi Switzerland, I am excited about my new challenge. C-K has given me an incredible opportunity to lead within an agency excelling in an ever-changing market–what more could I ask for!”

Green takes the ECD reins from Kevin Flatt, 42, who will shift into a new position for the agency: senior vice president, Digital and Design director. In this role, Flatt will focus his deep design and digital expertise to give the agency a one-two punch at the most senior levels; ensuring that great storytelling and brand experience innovation happen simultaneously.