Samira Ansari Named New CCO at Ogilvy New York

After a year at Deutsch New York as CCO, Samira Ansari has moved on to take the chief creative officer position at Ogilvy New York. Ansari will partner with Darla Price, president of Ogilvy New York, to drive the office’s business, culture and creative product for clients including IBM, The Coca-Cola Company, Nestle, Verizon, Samsung, H&R Block, Ikea, Audi of America and Nationwide.

“There is so much firepower at Ogilvy—across the incredible talent, a list of clients you can truly only wish for, and a hunger by all to do industry-defining, culture-changing work,” Ansari told Adweek. “I also see so much potential for growth at Ogilvy, helping lead the flagship office of an iconic global network. The opportunity is immense.”

Price, who was hired in March, is looking to make Ogilvy’s New York headquarters into a creative powerhouse, and Ansari is a big piece of that puzzle.

“She has such a magnetic energy, and I think it’s exactly what we need,” Price told Adweek. “Her experience is really going to help us strengthen our client relationships and raise the bar even more on the standard for creativity. But it’s also going to help us build an even more energetic and magnetic creative community.”

Chris Beresford-Hill, president and chief creative officer for Ogilvy North America, said Ansari will be a propellant to the energy that is galvanizing the agency.

“Sami is the kind of creative that when you spend time with her, you realize we’re all kindred spirits—she just believes anything is possible, and that’s the mindset that we all have right now,” Beresford-Hill told Adweek.

Ansari steps into a role previously held by Menno Kluin, who was hired in July of last year but has decided to leave the agency, according to Price.

“Menno will go on and do fantastic things. I really credit him for the way he’s built the creative community across the agency,” said Price, adding that Kluin will be on board for several more months until Ansari takes over sometime in November.

Three continents and an Emmy

In her most recent role as chief creative officer for Deutsch New York, Ansari led the creative vision for the agency and headed up creative efforts for clients including Village MD, City MD, PNC Bank, Dr. Praeger’s, and the global and U.S. Galderma business.

Prior to Deutsch, Ansari led the ABI portfolio for FCB New York, where she created Michelob Ultra Courtside with the NBA and Microsoft, helped launch Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer at the Super Bowl and, most recently, Michelob Ultra’s acclaimed “McEnroe vs. McEnroe,” which picked up a Sports Emmy earlier this year.

Ansari has also held creative positions at Johannes Leonardo, Grey Group, Leo Burnett, TBWA\Chiat\Day and JWT in New York, Saatchi & Saatchi in Paris, and Young & Rubicam and Cummins&Partners in Australia. She has worked with brands including Wheat Thins, Virgin Airlines, Pringles, Bose, Gap and Mike’s Hard Lemonade. “U by Kotex” is one of Samira’s most memorable campaigns, having helped change the way sanitary products are marketed to women.

In 2022, Ansari was named one of Adweek’s Creative 100, and her work has been repeatedly recognized by award shows including Cannes Lions, D&AD, Effies, ADC and The One Show. She has also served on many industry juries over the years, including this year at Cannes for Print and Publishing and Cannes Young Lions.

Ansari sees tremendous opportunity at Ogilvy, which is why she moved from Deutsch despite loving her time at the agency. She added that being there made her love being a CCO, and it provided her with a strong foundation for next-level creative leadership.

“I walked away with a Sports Emmy this year. That really changed how I think about our industry, and then to see Ogilvy’s Dove work just earn an Emmy nomination as well—there’s so much opportunity to affect culture and put brands in the middle of all the action. The lines are so blurry, and that excites me. I can only imagine what we can continue to do at Ogilvy. Selfishly, I want an Oscar next, so let’s start there,” said Ansari.

While she was at Deutsch for less than two years, she made an impact at the agency, according to its CEO.

“Sami’s departure marks a bittersweet moment for our team. We weren’t looking for an established CCO but for someone who was ready to take that next step in their career. We recognized Sami’s brave creative pedigree and leadership potential, and offered her a seat at the table. Over the past year I’ve worked alongside her as she worked hard and led with conviction. I’ve watched her confidence soar; it has been truly remarkable. Being the springboard for such massive talent, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride and we wish her success in this next chapter of her career,” said Val DiFebo, CEO of Deutsch NY, in a statement. 

Ansari joins Ogilvy at a time of growth at the agency. It was recently named No. 1 on WARC’s Creative 100 and Effective 100, along with accolades including Network of the Year at The One Show and Clio Awards. The agency also recently won global creative duties for Jameson.