Naked Communications lures ex-Host COO Paul Ward for group chief production officer role

Naked Communications has today announced the global appointment of Paul Ward (left) as group chief production officer.

Ward joins Naked having spent 16 years at Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) in senior production roles and the past year with Host in Sydney and Singapore in the role of COO.

In his newly created role as group chief production officer, Ward will be tasked to ensure Naked has world-best production, technology, creative processes and systems – aligned across all markets. Ward will work closely with the Naked Australian, UK and USA CEOs and their teams, and alongside Naked Group COO Joe Lugo.

Says Carl ratcliff, incoming Naked Australia CEO: “With Paul on board, Naked will have even greater firepower as a creative agency to serve the multifaceted needs of clients today. Naked has seen strong growth and building momentum in recent times. In Australia we have recently been appointed the lead creative agency for Blackmores and the communications strategy lead for Jagermeister and globally, we have won significant new business that includes Virgin Atlantic, The Coca-Cola Company, De Beers Forevermark, Danone and Mars Pedigree.

“Although Paul has a global role, he is Sydney based and I’m looking forward to working closely with him to lead the next chapter of Naked here.”

Says Ward: “I can’t wait to start work with the Naked team. Naked has one of the most powerful brand names in the business and is renown for its industry-leading clever and creative work. I’m awfully excited about our road ahead.”

Ward will be based in Sydney but will travel extensively around the various Naked offices. He starts in January 2014.

Building on from this Naked will be announcing a number of initiatives throughout 2014 that will firmly unify the businesses across the global and offer new ideas about the way brands and people can fit together.

Ward started his 25-year advertising career working in design and joined BBH in 1996 to work on Audi. At BBH, Ward was quickly promoted to head of production, joining the agency board in 2001 and later becoming a partner. In 2005, Ward became global operations director, working into the global chief operating officer, Gwyn Jones.

In 2008, Ward was responsible for the initial scoping and launch of BBH in India and then played an operational role working regionally across Asia from Singapore. After 16-years at BBH, Ward joined Host Sydney in 2012 as chief operating officer. During his time there, he partnered with the agency’s founder Anthony Freedman in setting up a Singapore business, the first Host office outside of Australia.

A die-hard Newcastle United fan, Ward lives in Sydney with wife Gwynn and one year old Silas. Another young Ward is currently ‘in production’.