Dentsu Creative has named Abbey Klaassen as its new U.S. CEO, taking over from Paulo Fogaca, who held the position since December 2022. The change in leadership is part of Dentsu’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its creative team and expand its presence in the United States.
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According to AdAge’s Brian Bonilla, Klaassen, who previously served as the President of Dentsu Creative New York, brings a wealth of experience to her new role. Prior to her work at Dentsu, she was the New York President of 360i. In her new position, Klaassen will be responsible for leading over 1,400 employees across nine offices, including locations in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.
She will work closely with Rafael Rizuto, the Chief Creative Officer for Dentsu Creative in the U.S. and Hispanic Latin America.
Laurel Flatt, who previously held the position of President of Client Leadership in the west region for Dentsu Creative U.S., will now take on the role of Chief Client Officer for Dentsu Creative in the U.S. In this capacity, she will oversee Dentsu Creative’s west and east hubs.
In response to these changes, Klaassen expressed her enthusiasm for the leadership team, praising Rizuto and Flatt as exceptional leaders with unique strengths.
The departure of Fogaca from Dentsu was a mutual agreement between him and the organization. Michael Komasinski, CEO of Dentsu Americas, expressed appreciation for Fogaca’s leadership and dedication and wished him success in his future endeavors.
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Dentsu Creative boasts a diverse portfolio of clients, including major brands such as American Express, Burger King, Diageo, 7-Eleven, Crayola, Mondelēz, and Principal. The agency’s impressive client roster grew with the addition of Apple TV+ earlier this year.
Dentsu Creative was formed in June 2022 when Dentsu merged its creative agencies into a single entity. Since that time, the agency has undergone a series of leadership changes, including the departure of Wendy Clark, former Dentsu CEO, and Fred Levron, former Dentsu Global Chief Creative Officer. These roles have been succeeded by new leadership, including Yasuharu Sasaki.
The agency has seen other executive changes recently, including the departure of Jacki Kelley, who went on to join Interpublic Group of Cos. Komasinski succeeded Kelley in the role and took on the position of global CEO of Merkle. In August, Doug Rozen, CEO of Dentsu Media’s Americas division, left the company as part of a separate reorganization.
Moving forward, Dentsu’s focus is on better communicating its unique value proposition and story to clients over the next two years. This includes growing its brand consulting work and aligning brand performance capabilities with creative efforts. Additionally, the agency aims to leverage its acquisition of Tag, a production company, to deliver large amounts of content to clients more efficiently.
Klaassen sees these changes as a way to simplify the agency’s offerings for its clients. The consolidation of various legacy brands into a single, powerful entity allows the agency to provide best-in-class services and a more compelling and credible approach.
Reel 360 News wishes Abby the best of luck in her new role.
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