Gut hires DDB Chicago president as its first US CEO

Gut has hired Sandra Alfaro as its first U.S. CEO.

Alfaro is joining Gut from DDB Chicago, where she was president since October. At Gut, she will be reunited with Global CEO Andrea Diquez, who joined the agency from DDB Chicago in October. When Diquez was CEO of the Omnicom shop, she helped appoint Alfaro to the DDB Chicago president role.

The need for the role came as Gut continues to expand its footprint.

“I have to focus on what else do we need and what other capabilities do we need in all of our offices and how I can make that happen,” Diquez said. “So for me to be able to do that, I need somebody that can help lead the U.S. operation so that it keeps growing.”

Alfaro will be responsible for Gut’s two U.S. offices in Miami and Los Angeles.

Over the past two years, Gut has also opened offices in Mexico City, Toronto and Amsterdam. The independent agency also has offices in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and São Paulo. 

Last year, Gut named Ricardo Casal and Juan Javier Peña Plaza as its North America chief creative officers. The agency also recently promoted Carmen Rodriguez to global chief growth officer. She previously served as Gut Miami's managing director and global chief client officer.

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Reunited again

Alfaro met Diquez when she got her first job in advertising over 20 years ago as an account exec at Publicis agency Conill. The two hadn’t worked together again until their time at DDB Chicago, which Alfaro joined in November 2021.

“I've had a great experience at DDB working there. It's iconic, has an amazing legacy, and being part of a team in Chicago that sort of reignited growth for them was amazing,” Alfaro said. “But then an opportunity like this comes around. It's working with Andrea again, which I think it's incredible when you know what you're going to in terms of the leader.”

Alfaro will remain with DDB through early August and start at Gut in September.

In 2005, during her tenure at The Vidal Partnership, Alfaro was named one of Ad Age’s Women to Watch, a program now known as Leading Women.

Other changes at DDB

Prior to her DDB Chicago president role, Alfaro served as DDB Chicago’s head of business leadership. Alfaro notably formed DDB Chicago’s first social practice during her tenure at the agency.

Before joining DDB she was an executive VP and managing partner at Horizon Media’s culture-first agency 305 Worldwide.

Alfaro's departure marks the latest executive change at DDB.

In June, Luis Miguel Messianu, the founder and chairman of DDB agency Alma, said he was departing his role as global chief creative officer for DDB’s McDonald’s account to start his own creative consultancy called Included.

In May, it was reported that Leo Burnett's Emma Montgomery was named CEO of DDB Chicago. This followed news that former DDB New York President Darla Price would join Ogilvy New York and that DDB North America CEO Justin Thomas-Copeland would also be leaving the agency.

Meanwhile, DDB New York merged with Adam&EveNYC to form a new agency operating under the Adam&EveDDB name. Former Digitas exec Caroline Winterton was brought on as CEO of Adam&EveDDB New York.

Earlier this month, DDB Chicago named Kiska Howell to executive VP, head of business leadership, from executive VP, executive business lead on the Molson Coors, Thomas’, Orkin, Hefty and Reynolds accounts.