Dentsu Creative Names New US Leaders

Dentsu Creative has added two new creative leaders across the U.S. in response to an expanding client portfolio. Ryan Paulson, who previously held creative leadership roles at BBH and McCann NY, will join the agency as chief creative officer in New York, and Vince Lim, former chief creative officer of Barbarian, will join as chief creative partner. 

Paulson will work with Julie Scelzo, chief creative officer, Chicago and global accounts. Scelzo has led Dentsu’s American Express business creatively for six years and was promoted into a broader creative leadership role earlier this year. Lim will work alongside the pair, bringing his creative ambition to lead the agency’s creative teams for T-Mobile. 

Together, the creative leadership team will deliver what the agency calls “Transformative Creativity” to help clients unlock growth by positively impacting people, business and society.

Dentsu Creative was appointed lead creative agency for T-Mobile in January and has been working closely with the brand on its creative vision. As chief creative partner, Lim will help ensure creative excellence for the brand.

“As we continue to build our portfolio and our client needs continue to grow and diversify, it’s more important than ever to invest in creative. We have high ambitions. And we love the concept of a team made of individuals who complement one another. Ryan and Vince, along with Julie, will bolster our creative leadership with their unique skillsets and perspectives, which I believe will ensure creative excellence across the board in what is a scaled and growing set of clients,” said Abbey Klaassen, global brand president, Dentsu Creative in a statement.

Paulson’s tenure in creative leadership includes previous roles at BBH and McCann NY, where he worked on clients including Samsung and Verizon. He is also passionate about mentoring and teaching young creatives to foster and develop excellence, which will be a key part of his role. 

“I love the idea of Transformative Creativity and extending creative thinking across media, data and CXM. I’m excited to be a part of that vision, and I’m looking forward to bringing it to life with this group of leaders, who are equal parts innovative and smart, but also incredibly kind. Great vision, great people. I can’t wait to get started,” said Paulson in a statement.

Lim brings over 30 years of experience in the industry, and has received accolades from D&AD and Cannes, as well as being the one of creative leaders behind State Street Global Advisors’ “Fearless Girl” statue. He’s worked in agencies around the world, with creative leadership roles on a diverse set of clients, spanning several industries, from food and beverage to finance and tech. 

“One of the things we pride ourselves on the most at Dentsu Creative is the ability to let our clients’ problems dictate our creative approach, and with the addition of Ryan and Vince’s expertise, knowledge, and perspective, I think our ability to drive innovative, creative solutions will expand even further than it already has,” said Scelzo in a statement. 

Dentsu Creative U.S. has landed key new business wins recently, including T-Mobile, Lowe’s, and Honeywell.