Movers and Shakers: Engine, Grey, Wavemaker, M&C Saatchi, Leo Burnett, Publicis.Poke and more

IPG agency Golin has promoted George Bryant, founding partner and chief creative officer of The Brooklyn Brothers, to the newly created role of group chief creative officer.

Next 15 Communications Group is taking over Engine Group UK, owner of ad agency Engine Creative, for an enterprise value of £77.5m. 

Grey London has hired David Wigglesworth, creative director at Droga5 London, as executive creative director.

Deutsch LA – opened in 1995 by former New York City-based parent Deutsch Inc – is embarking on its first foray to these shores with an office opening in London.

Publicis.Poke has hired Frederico Roberto as commerce creative director, following the appointment of Alison Hoad as chief strategy officer.

Leo Burnett London has appointed Meta’s Natalie Kozlowska to the new role of head of production and innovation.

M&C Saatchi London has hired Atomic London's Guy Bradbury to the new role of creative partner, the first in a series of upcoming appointments for the agency.

Wavemaker UK has appointed Rozzi Merrington as head of innovation, replacing Sarah Salter, who moved to global head of applied innovation at Wavemaker’s Worldwide Consulting Hub in January. Merrington joins from AI agency Voxly Digital, where she was head of innovation strategy.

The Maverick Group has blown the starting whistle on its Sports and Entertainment division, appointing Nick Addecott as director. Addecott has spent more than two decades in the industry, most recently as head of sales and partnerships for SaaS fintech, Tappit.

Electronic music platform Resident Advisor has appointed Kazim Rashid as chief brand and creative officer. Rashid has worked for Vice Media’s advertising agency Virtue and most recently founded Mixcloud’s in-house creative agency Loud, while also serving as creative director for the agency.

Dave Bennett has joined Rise at Seven as communications director. Formerly, Bennett was the global MD of Exposure and director of Freuds.

Liam Hamill has rejoined branding company Venturethree as principal, growth and strategy. Hamill was strategy director from 2012 to 2016, after which he held strategy-based roles at Lippincott and Wolff Olins, and most recently led brand and marketing strategy for Epic Games.

Production agency Happy Finish has appointed Jerome Botbol as its first head of immersive. Previously head of strategic partnerships, Botbol will be replaced by Lyndon Greenlees, who joins from Group Nine Media where he was director of global partnerships.

Cain & Abel DDB has bolstered its direct response team, making two new senior appointments. Jay Thom joins as strategy director, having previously held the role of associate strategy director at RAPP, and Vikki Stewart has had an internal promotion from planning director to head of commerce strategy.

FutureBrand has made an internal appointment, making Australia-based Stephen Barber its chief experience officer. At the FutureBrand office Down Under, Barber was brand experience director.

Beatrice Vears has joined HDY Agency, content marketing specialists, as managing director. Vears was most recently marketing director for Sodexo Live.

Global channel agency Sherpa has appointed Bradley Forsdick as channel platforms manager. Previously, Forsdick was product manager at Propeller Studios.

Healthcare marketing communications agency Onyx Health has expanded its senior team with the appointment of Alison Davies as associate director and Sarah Walton as account director. Davies previously worked as associate director of scientific communications for Weber Shandwick and BSMG Worldwide and Walton joins from Dawson Walker Communications, with her most recent role was PR and events director.