FCB Chicago Names Pedro Pérez Chief Creative Officer

The creative leadership machine at FCB keeps churning. As Susan Credle starts her transition from FCB to global creative advisor for IPG. FCB Chicago hired Pedro Pérez as chief creative officer, taking over from Andrés Ordóñez, who was promoted to global CCO at FCB.

Credle, who will continue to serve as chair of global network FCB throughout the remainder of 2024, will eventually land as IPG’s first creative advisor. 

As CCO, Pérez will partner with FCB Chicago CEO Kelly Graves and chief strategy officer Mollie Partesotti to lead the network’s largest office. He will also become a member of FCB’s global creative council, collaborating with creative leaders from across the network to elevate the work.

“At FCB, we’re on a mission to bring together the best creative talent in the industry and prove that creativity is an economic multiplier,” said Ordóñez in a statement. “Pedro’s experience delivering incredible creative work that has led to brand fame and business growth makes him the perfect creative leader for FCB Chicago.” 

Pérez joins FCB from Dentsu Creative, where he was CCO for the Chicago office, overseeing creative operations and contributing to the execution of Dentsu Creative’s U.S. and global initiatives. Pérez helped launch “Scrolling Therapy,” an artificial intelligence tool that used facial recognition to allow Parkinson’s disease patients to exercise using social media, and he led the Chicago office into the top 10 rankings at Cannes Lions.

Prior to joining Dentsu, Pérez spent three years as CCO for Energy BBDO, where he was the creative lead behind Extra Gum’s “For When It’s Time” campaign, which celebrated the world opening back up post-pandemic.

“What excites me so much is that in FCB, the entire agency is united around the belief that creativity could be applied to solve any business problem, and it could provide an amazing impact in their business, and ultimately grow their business,” Pérez told ADWEEK, adding that talking to CEOs Tyler Turnbull (FCB Global) and Graves about how FCB rallies around the power of creativity cemented his decision to come to the agency.

A creative leader with over 20 years of experience, Pérez has worked with top brands including Bayer, Brown-Forman, Disney, Mars Wrigley and Principal Financial.

A return to his career roots

Pérez is no stranger to the IPG network. His first creative opportunity was working as an intern at FCB Puerto Rico during college, which helped him land hia first job as a junior copywriter. He later worked for Draftfcb and Badillo Satchi & Saatchi in Puerto Rico before heading to Chicago. An FCB “Creative Rumble” in Chicago inspired him to move to the city.

At FCB, Pérez sees an opportunity to expand his creative reach, especially as Credle helps tie the global creative teams at IPG together when it makes sense.

“When you have an ability to expand your bench, when you think about having the opportunity to find the correct people and collaborate, that’s something that is very exciting for me,” said Pérez. 

Pérez has won over 60 international awards, including a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions; D&AD’s Graphite, Yellow and Wood Pencils; Grand Effies; and multiple trophies at The One Show and the Clio Awards. Pérez also made ADWEEK’s Creative 100 in 2020. 

FCB Chicago has seen positive growth in the past year, adding brands to the client roster including Danone, Terminix and the U.S. Postal Service, and growing business with long-standing clients including Cox Communications, Prestige and Clorox.

“As we look to the future, we will continue to develop the incredible creative platforms we have built in partnership with our clients, and I’m confident that Pedro is the right creative leader to take FCB Chicago into its next era of creative excellence,” Graves said in a statement.