NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking the exact
anniversary of its founding 100 years ago, Grey Group today
announced the appointment of its next generation of leadership with
the promotion of Michael Houston to
Worldwide Chief Executive Officer of Grey Group, effective
immediately. A ten-year veteran of Grey, he has served since
2016 as Global President and becomes only the fifth person to hold
the CEO position since Grey's founding in 1917.
James R. Heekin, who has led the
company, as Chairman and CEO of Grey Group since 2007, will remain
Executive Chairman of Grey Group. He will continue to work
closely with Houston, global management and clients to ensure a
smooth transition and Grey's ongoing success in the years
ahead.
"As we celebrate Grey's centennial and a decade of record new
business growth and creative performance, the time is right for the
elevation of a new generation," Jim
Heekin said. "Michael
Houston is one of our most dynamic and talented
leaders. This well-deserved promotion will enable us to set
the agenda for Grey's future growth and competitiveness across our
global network."
"As Global President, I've travelled the world and been inspired
by the depth and breadth of talent and creativity across the Grey
network," Michael Houston
said. "I'm humbled to work among such brilliant creative
minds and honored to become CEO of this great agency brand at the
height of its momentum, with vast potential ahead."
Grey's Record Performance
2017 is shaping up to be Grey's tenth year in a row of record
new business and creative performance worldwide. This year
alone Grey has won the global Revlon account and the U.S. accounts
of Walgreens and Applebee's. The agency's soaring creative
reputation includes the win of over 270 Cannes Lions in the past
three years. In recent years, Grey has been named ADWEEK's
"Global Agency of the Year" twice; ADVERTISING AGE's "Agency of the
Year" and CAMPAIGN's "Global Network of the Year."
About Michael Houston
Michael Houston joined Grey New
York, the global network's flagship headquarters office, in 2007 as
Executive Vice President, Director of Marketing, to lead Grey's
business development and brand marketing efforts. He was
promoted to Global Chief Marketing Officer of Grey worldwide in
2010 in recognition of Grey's unprecedented growth. Appointed
to the new position of Managing Director of Grey New York in 2011,
Houston took on the role of Chief Operating Officer of the
1,000-person strong office in 2012. He was named to the
prestigious Crain's New York Business "40 Under 40" list in
2012.
One year later, Houston was promoted to CEO of Grey North
America overseeing the New York,
San Francisco and Canadian offices
as well as Grey Activation and PR and Wing, the multicultural
marketing communications agency. Under his leadership, Grey
has won such blue-chip clients as Gillette, Volvo, Nestlé, Hasbro,
Papa John's, Kellogg's and Marriott. He took on an expanded
worldwide leadership role in 2016 when he became Global President
of Grey.
About James R. Heekin
III
James R. Heekin became Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer of Grey Group in January 2007, after leading Grey, the company's
global advertising arm, since the fall of 2005. He succeeded
the legendary advertising titan, Edward H.
Meyer, whose career included more than three decades as
CEO.
Under Heekin's leadership, Grey has energized its management
ranks with a sweeping infusion of world-class talent; introduced a
new global strategic model for developing outstanding creative
ideas across platforms; enhanced its total communications offering
with acquisitions in every region; enjoyed the most successful
decade in its history adding over $2
billion in new business billings from blue-chip clients and
has become a global creative powerhouse.
About Grey
Grey Group, celebrating its
100th anniversary, ranks among the largest global
communications companies. Its parent company is WPP (NASDAQ :
WPPGY). Under the banner of "Grey Famously Effective Since
1917," the agency serves a blue-chip roster of many of the world's
best known companies: Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline,
Kellogg's, Pfizer, Canon, NFL, Boehringer Ingelheim, Marriott
Hotels & Resorts, Nestlé, Papa John's, T.J. Maxx, Volvo, Darden Restaurants, Walgreens
and Applebee's. (www.grey.com)
Contact:
Owen
Dougherty
212-546-2551
owen.dougherty@grey.com
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SOURCE Grey