Pereira was vice-president and creative director of AgenciaClick, the largest digital agency in Brazil. His appointment by AKQA is the latest in a series of creative hires over the past three months, including Rei Inamoto, who took up the role of global creative director from R/GA, and Lars Bastholm, who joined AKQA New York as executive creative director from Framfab.
Tom Bedecarre, chief executive of AKQA, said: "PJ is the leading interactive creative director and agency entrepreneur from Latin America and we are thrilled that he will be joining AKQA's creative team.
"His extensive international experience and creative insight will be an enormous asset for our clients and the work."
After creating his first interactive marketing effort in 1989, Pereira joined DM9 in 1996, developing a separate internet division two years later. Working for clients such as Johnson & Johnson, Honda, Compaq and British American Tobacco, his team picked up the first Brazilian Cyber Lion in 1998.
He left DM9 DDB in 1999 to join a technology company called Midialog and created AgenciaClick.
At 31, Pereira is one of the youngest people to chair a jury at Cannes, but he has been working in interactive marketing since 1989, and has won a number of awards for his work, including 12 Cyber Lions and a Grand Prix in 2000.
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