Kim Verbrugghe joins Orchard from Deepend to refresh the agency’s approach to strategy

Kim Verbrugghe has joined independent agency Orchard as head of strategy with the aim to refresh the way the business approaches strategy.

Verbrugghe joins Orchard following a five-year stint at independent digital agency Deepend. Her appointment signals the beginning of a new phase for Orchard as she plans to implement a design thinking methodology across the entire strategy function. By applying an innovative model that uses methods from Google Sprint and human-centred design (HCD), Verbrugghe will shift the way Orchard approaches strategy to be more human-centric and collaborative while she oversees the building of the agency’s planning, social, content, customer experience and data offerings.

Says Andrew Antoniou, managing partner at Orchard: “As a business, we need to continue to innovate, grow, stretch and push the jagged edges to stay at the forefront of what the market is demanding. Kim will help us do that and more. She is super smart and has a history of driving change in the digital space.”

Says Verbrugghe: “Orchard is all about ‘inventing better’ and internally, the agency is already human-focused. The people at Orchard are curious and keen listeners who apply deep thinking to find innovative solutions. That, our cross-functional team and the flat structure of the agency makes this approach ideally suited to the business. With the HCD model, we can solve complex problems quickly, regardless of the channel.”

The appointment follows recent client wins for the business including Schwarzkopf and recognition at the PRIME Awards, the Effies of healthcare, where Orchard picked up two awards and a highly commended.