Grey names Jonathan Lee global chief strategy and data officer

WPP’s Grey has named Jonathan Lee as global chief strategy and data officer. Lee, formerly chief strategy officer of Grey New York, will now lead strategy and data for all of Grey Group's 32 global offices.

Dan Ng succeeds Lee as chief strategy officer for New York and will report to Lee. Ng joins from independent Wieden+Kennedy, where he led strategy on the Visa account across five of its worldwide offices. Ng also spent five years at Droga5, where he oversaw the launch of its first office in Asia in Tokyo.

Ng is the first major hire made by Amber Guild, who became CEO of the New York office in December after serving as president of The New York Times’ T Brand branded content arm. 

In addition, Grey has named Ankit Vahia chief strategy officer of health and wellness at the New York office after serving as executive strategy director. Beth Rolfs, former executive strategy director of data, is now the chief data officer. Vahia, Rolfs and about 50 others will report to Ng in New York. 

Momentum based

Guild said the appointments will allow the agency to build on its momentum of last year, which brought big wins and led to the agency being named Ad Age's Comeback Agency of the Year. New business wins included Modela, MassMutual, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, IHG Hotels and Georgia-Pacific’s Angel Soft. Grey's health and wellness practice also notched wins for Eli Lilly, Genetech and Johnson & Johnson recently.

Guild said the realignment is aimed at “connection and consistency” throughout all of Grey's offices. She noted that Lee was able to bring collaboration and partnership between the agency’s planning and data teams in New York and his expanded role will ensure “that that is consistent across the globe."

“We really have started to grow and develop and innovate in the type of work we’re doing for clients,” Guild said. “We’re continuing to bring in phenomenal talent who are only good at what they do, but also incredible at bringing [that] out in others. That's what's going to continue to write our next chapter."