Christie had been widely tipped for the role because of a previous freelance stint at Wieden & Kennedy in 2001 when he led the pitch to secure the Honda business. The Honda client has been critical to the success of W&K.
Dave Luhr, the chief executive of the W&K network, said: "Neil is dead smart. He's aggressive and focused. He respects creativity and has an excellent track record with clients. We look forward to working with him and continuing to shake things up in London."
Christie replaces Amy Smith, who left the agency in December to return to her native Australia. During her three-year stint, Smith oversaw W&K's transformation from an agency plagued by management upheaval, struggling to make its mark, into the potent creative operation behind the highly regarded Honda "cog" commercial.
Christie said: "Wieden & Kennedy is one of the world's great creative agencies and the London office is producing some of the most exciting work in the world right now. I think that there is massive potential for growth and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help the agency fulfil that potential."
Christie was the marketing director at Partners BDDH for two years before its merger with the then Euro RSCG Wnek Gosper. He previously spent eight years at TBWA\ London, where he rose to the role of managing director and chief operating officer.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
_1.jpg)
.jpg)
