Ten rise in the ranks at Droga5 NY as agency gears up for new phase as a global organization

Following the agency’s biggest quarter in six consecutive years of growth, majority Aussie-owned Droga5 has made multiple new promotions within the agency’s management team, setting the stage for a new phase as a truly global organization with commensurate scale and ambition.

“One true measure of Droga5’s success is how our people grow within the agency,” says David Droga, founder and creative chairman of Droga5. “We have always aspired to be one of the world’s most influential creative companies, and I believe these incredible talents will help us achieve that mission.”

Effective immediately, top promotions include:

Andrew Essex, Vice Chairman: After seven years as CEO and co-founder of Droga5 New York, during which time the agency grew from three people to more than 350 globally, Essex (top right) will join Droga in the Chairman’s wing as the agency continues to expand into a true global micro-network with multiple subsidiaries. In addition to managing existing relationships and driving new opportunities, Essex will continue to work closely with Droga to advance the agency’s unrivaled appetite for innovation via strategic partnerships, emerging platforms and unexpected opportunities. He will also continue to directly oversee DE-DE, the Droga5-backed digital product development studio.

Sarah Thompson, CEO, New York: As CEO, Thompson (top left) will be responsible for overseeing all client business and ensuring that the agency continues to grow, evolve and maintain its ability to constantly innovate and push boundaries in ways that drive results for its partner brands and businesses. Thompson joined Droga5 in 2008 and became President in 2010.

Ted Royer, Chief Creative Officer, New York: Royer (above centre) will be responsible for all day-to-day creative output in the agency. He will work closely with the CEO and Chief Strategy Officer to steer every client’s work, win new business and grow the Droga5 culture. He will be responsible for staffing the creative department with the talent it needs to handle growth, and he will work directly with every Executive Creative Director and Creative Director in the agency to maintain Droga5’s creative excellence. Royer was most recently Executive Creative Director.

Kevin Brady and Neil Heymann, Executive Creative Directors, New York: Brady (above right) and Heymann (above left), both formerly Group Creative Directors, will jointly run the agency’s business, with Droga5 New York’s creative department reporting directly to them. Brady and Heymann’s client portfolios will continue to grow as the agency expands, and both will join the executive management team.

Bryan Yasko, Global Business Director: Yasko (top, second from left) has been a key partner to clients and an agency leader for more than two years in his role as Group Account Director, specifically developing work that drives business for Prudential and helps it stand out in the financial category. In his new role, Yasko will establish best practices and approaches for running global brands and businesses as the agency expands, while continuing to focus on leading New York-based client business. In addition, he will be part of a senior team tasked with assessing potential growth opportunities, partnerships and expansion across the globe as the agency evolves.

Susie Nam, General Manager and Head of Account Management, New York: Nam (top, second from right) has been a key leader at Droga5 for four years, running and supervising several pieces of the agency’s business. Before this promotion, she spent three years as Head of Account Management, building a department of strategically and creatively driven account leaders. In her role as General Manager, Nam will be responsible for overseeing all operational aspects of Droga5 New York across departments, ensuring that the agency continues to work in a nimble manner and seamlessly integrating new offerings as it grows and evolves. She will also continue to oversee Account Management.

Judd Merkel, Global Chief Financial Officer: After more than six years as CFO, managing Droga5’s unrivaled domestic agency growth and its international properties and domestic ventures, Merkel (far left) will step up to the Global CFO role, where his focus will be on extending and developing the transnational portfolio of Droga5 businesses.

Amir Feder, Chief Financial Officer, New York: After more than two years of successful agency stewardship as Director of Finance, Feder (above centre) will become Droga5 New York’s CFO. In this capacity, he will oversee all financial reporting, manage the operating budget and devise and implement policies to control costs while driving the agency’s growth and profitability.

Scott Waldbaum, Global General Counsel and General Counsel, New York: After more than five years as General Counsel of Droga5 New York, overseeing legal matters related to the agency’s growth, properties and ventures, Waldbaum (above right) will become Global General Counsel of Droga5. He will also maintain his role as General Counsel of the agency’s New York office. In the Global General Counsel role, Waldbaum will oversee legal matters related to the international portfolio of Droga5’s businesses.