One day after announcing his departure from Ogilvy, Rafael Rizuto has landed at Droga5 as chief creative officer of New York and the Americas.

Rizuto will lead creative from Droga5’s New York headquarters while overseeing teams across North and Latin America, starting in January.

At Ogilvy, the Brazilian-born creative most recently served as chief creative officer for North America for the past 18 months. There, he oversaw work for Dove, Coca-Cola, and Unilever, and helped lead the agency to win a Gold Lion at Cannes for Dove’s “Get Unready,” an out-of-home campaign celebrating post-party skincare routines.

Mark Green, global CEO of Droga5, said in a statement that Rizuto will bring “boundless energy to Droga5 as well as world-class experience.”

“As we continue to build something new across the globe, Rafa will be a key player in reinventing Droga5 New York as well as harnessing the best of what our team in Brazil can offer to the Americas as a whole,” he continued. “This is going to be a great new chapter, and we are lucky to have someone who is not only talented but also a brilliant human. We cannot wait to see where he takes us.”

Rizuto joins Droga5 as it continues to transform under Accenture Song, which earlier this year named Ndidi Oteh as global CEO as David Droga became executive chairman. In 2024, Droga5 merged with The Monkeys in Australia and SOKO in Brazil, added new leadership, and brought on clients such as Xbox, Tourism Australia, and Bosch as part of its plan to restore its creative edge.

An art director by trade, Rizuto’s work has earned top industry honors, including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix wins for Boost Mobile’s “Boost Your Voice” and UNICEF’s “Unfairy Tales” via 180LA. He has previously held creative leadership roles at BBH USA, Dentsu Creative, 180LA, and Pereira O’Dell, and founded the independent agency TBD in San Francisco.

“I grew up in this business worshiping Droga5,” Rizuto said in a statement. “No other agency shaped me more as a creative.”

“We’re at a pivotal moment for our industry, where the role of creativity is being challenged,” he continued. “I believe with all my heart that our creativity at Droga5, amplified with the technology expertise of Accenture Song, is what will set us apart.”

Ogilvy has named Guillermo Vega chief creative officer for North America, the agency confirmed to ADWEEK.

Vega, who since 2022 has led creative for The Coca-Cola Company across the WPP Open X network, expands his remit to oversee creative vision and output across all of Ogilvy’s capabilities and clients in its largest region.

He succeeds Rafa Rizuto, who is departing the agency after about 18 months in the role to pursue “a new opportunity that will be announced in the coming days,” according to Liz Taylor, Ogilvy’s global chief creative officer, in an internal note obtained by ADWEEK.

“While we’re sad to see him go, we’re grateful for the impact he’s had during his time with us,” Taylor wrote. “Rafa is an extraordinary talent and human being.”

A globally recognized creative leader and agency builder, Vega will lead work for brands including The Coca-Cola Company—which was named Cannes Lions Creative Brand of the Year in 2024—as well as Unilever and Mastercard. He will also continue to serve as the Ogilvy Group’s global creative network lead for WPP Open X, the bespoke agency team dedicated to Coca-Cola. According to Ogilvy’s statement, Vega will oversee a new creative studio aimed at accelerating the integration of agentic AI into concepting and production.

“Creating brand impact today is about unleashing creativity at the intersections—of culture, technology, categories,” Vega said in a statement shared with ADWEEK. “I’ve seen it firsthand in the work we do for Coca-Cola, and I’m beyond inspired to bring those insights and approaches to all our clients here in North America, while continuing to deliver boundary-pushing brand experiences for TCCC. No one knows creative excellence better than Ogilvy, and I am excited to carry that legacy forward for and with our incredible talent.”

Under Vega’s leadership, Coca-Cola rolled out “It’s Magic When the World Comes Together” for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Powerade’s “The Athlete’s Code,” a contractual provision allowing sponsored athletes to pause commitments to prioritize mental health. Before joining Ogilvy, Vega held senior creative roles at Saatchi & Saatchi London, 72andSunny New York, and Wieden+Kennedy São Paulo.

Taylor described Vega as “a singular talent—a leader who embodies kindness and candor, champions brave ideas, and inspires teams to never stop learning,” adding, “We are thrilled to have him apply that experience to the work we do for our clients across this vital region in the network.”

RPA has named chief media officer Jim Helberg as its new CEO, succeeding Pete Imwalle, who has left the agency after more than three decades, the agency confirmed to ADWEEK.

Imwalle spent 32 years at RPA, rising through the ranks to chief executive, a role he held during a period of continued independence for the Santa Monica-based agency and marked by longstanding relationships with marquee clients like American Honda. His departure marks a significant leadership shift for the largest independent advertising agency on the West Coast.

Helberg, who has served as RPA’s EVP and chief media officer since 2017, has nearly a decade of experience at the agency; previously, he held senior roles at Spark Foundry. He has also served on the 4A’s Media Leadership Council and is an adjunct professor of media strategy at the University of Oklahoma.

Helberg will work closely with agency president and COO Brett Bender to “architect an enhanced strategic approach to RPA’s offering” amid ongoing shifts in the agency landscape, the agency said in a statement.

“I appreciate the trust RPA has placed in me,” Helberg said in a statement. “I welcome the opportunity to build upon RPA’s past and recognize how well positioned our independent agency is to assist our clients in achieving greater business success.”

RPA’s client roster also includes convenience store chain ampm, Apartments.com, Homes.com, Arco, Farmers Insurance Group, La-Z-Boy, LoopNet, Southern California Edison, and TXU Energy.

This week has been another revolving door of hires, departures, and promotions at brands, from CMO appointments to high-profile exits.

We’re rounding up the U.S. and global marketing leadership moves you should know about for the week ending Oct. 10.

– Bumble has promoted its svp of global marketing Neela Pal to CMO. She joined the dating app in December 2024 after tenures at Roblox and TripAdvisor. “I’m energized to help shape the next chapter of the Bumble brand – reimagining what love and connection look like today, and sharing how our products help people feel seen, safe, and supported,” she wrote on LinkedIn.

– Michelle St. Jacques, Molson Coors‘ chief commercial officer and its former CMO, is leaving the business after six years. Her exit comes weeks after the brewer named Rahul Goyal as CEO, succeeding the retiring Gavin Hattersley.

– Geico has named Arianna Orpello as CMO. She comes from Goldman Sachs, where she most recently served as global chief brand officer.

– 1-800-Flowers has appointed Melanie Babcock to the newly created role of chief marketing and growth officer. She joins from The Home Depot, where she has worked for over a decade, most recently as vp of its retail media network.

– AI sourcing platform Globality has appointed Steve Arentzoff as CMO. He was previously in senior marketing roles at FlexPay, Medallia, and Cision. In his new role, he’ll be tasked with cutting through the AI hype to drive the company’s next stage of growth.

Sharb Farjami, CEO of WPP Media North America, is leaving the company, according to a staff memo obtained by ADWEEK.

Brian Lesser, CEO of WPP Media globally, will take on direct leadership of the North America region while the company searches for Farjami’s successor. WPP Media’s regional executive committee will report directly to Lesser during the transition, with Farjami supporting the handover.

Farjami has led WPP’s media operations in North America since January 2024, after running media agency Wavemaker in the region. Based in New York, he sat at the helm as the group went through a period of transition, including a rebranding and restructure in May.

In a note to staff announcing his departure, Lesser credited Farjami with helping WPP Media win clients including Adobe, Audible, and Johnson & Johnson and “guiding the rollout of our new operating model and brand in the region.”

“Sharb’s leadership laid the foundation for our success and was instrumental in our transformation,” Lesser wrote in the note. “He has been a tireless advocate for our clients and our business. As a former CEO of North America, I know firsthand the scale of his contributions and the legacy he leaves. He will be missed. ”

“The past four years at WPP Media have been an extraordinary journey marked by meaningful milestones with a remarkable team,” Farjami wrote in a statement. “I’m deeply proud of what we’ve achieved and grateful to everyone who’s been part of it. I’ll always be cheering on WPP Media in its next chapter.”

The leadership shift comes during a pivotal period for WPP Media. In May, the media network rebranded from GroupM and restructured to more closely integrate its agencies on the back-end. The news came after a string of major account losses, including Coca-Cola and Mars.

In August, the network had a big win when it unseated Carat to win Mastercard’s $180 million global media account, ending a decade-long relationship.

The leadership shift at WPP Media comes amid broader change at parent WPP. Cindy Rose took the helm of the holding company on Sept. 1, succeeding Mark Read. In her first address to staff, Rose acknowledged “a lot of hard work ahead” but said she felt “super excited to co-create the new WPP together.”

In its latest earnings report, WPP announced a strategic review as its revenue dropped by 5.8%.

Below is the full text of Lesser’s internal note to staff.

Team,

I’m writing you today to share that Sharb Farjami is leaving WPP to pursue an opportunity outside of a media agency. I’m deeply grateful for the impact he’s had over the past two years as CEO of WPP Media North America and, previously, as CEO of Wavemaker US. Effective immediately, I will oversee North America as we begin the search for our next North America CEO, with the regional executive committee reporting directly to me. Sharb will support me during our period of transition. 

Sharb’s leadership laid the foundation for our success and was instrumental in our transformation. From bringing in clients like Adobe, Audible, and Johnson & Johnson, to guiding the rollout of our new operating model and brand in the region, he has been a tireless advocate for our clients and our business. As a former CEO of North America, I know firsthand the scale of his contributions and the legacy he leaves. He will be missed. 

I believe the future holds even greater opportunities for us, thanks to the work that has already been done, and I’m excited for what we will accomplish together. I look forward to working even more closely with our US and Canada leadership teams as we build on the momentum Sharb helped create.

Please join me in wishing Sharb continued success in his next chapter.

Brian

Outgoing chief marketing officer (CMO) Tammy Henault has put her stamp on the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Through celebrity cameos and cinematic storytelling, the marketer has helped cement the NBA’s place in culture while courting a global fan base since joining in 2022. During her tenure, Henault helped the NBA break attendance records, reaching its second-highest numbers for the 2024-2025 season following an already record-breaking season prior.

Now, after three years in the role, she’s preparing to step down. Marketing will be led by “the group’s current leadership team on an interim basis,” per an NBA spokesperson, while the league searches for a new CMO.

“What an extraordinary privilege it has been to help grow and evolve one of the most iconic brands in the world—expanding our global audience, deepening fan engagement, driving digital innovation, and strengthening the NBA’s cultural impact,” Henault wrote in a goodbye message on LinkedIn.

Here are four of the buzziest campaigns that helped Henault and her team flip the script for basketball and make history.

1. ‘We’re All in the Finals’ (2023)

Henault’s first star-studded campaign for the league landed on social, linear TV, and the NBA app in May 2023.

Produced by Brooklyn agency Translation, the hero spot captured the global excitement surrounding the NBA Finals and the whirlwind of emotions that fans and players experience during every game.

Set to “Hometown Glory,” by British artist Adele, and narrated by actor John Malkovich, the 60 second ad showed NBA legends, sports icons, and celebrities watching the finals with bated breath. Cameos included rapper and NBA ambassador SUGA and skateboarding icon Tony Hawk. TV host and comedian Jimmy Kimmel and NFL champions Peyton Manning and Eli Manning also featured.

The spot closes with NBA icons Larry Bird and Magic Johnson marveling at their combined championship rings.

In the run-up to the finals, the league relaunched its Larry O’Brien Trophy tour, sending the hardware to rub shoulders with famous folks like Tom Brady, Mariah Carey, Fat Joe, Bad Bunny, and UFC champions.

The 2023 tour was a hit on social, garnering more than 200 million video views and attracting nearly 100,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. 

Following this success, Henault continued to send the trophy to high-traffic destinations and glitterati meetups each season.

2. ‘Playoff Mode. It’s a Thing,’ (2024)

“Playoff Mode. It’s a Thing.” narrated by comedian Chris Rock landed in April 2024 to promote the NBA Playoffs.

The hero spot showed NBA players try to play it cool about going to the playoffs—even though they are a huge deal. All-stars such as Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, and Nikola Jokic featured in the campaign.

The creative played on the idea that the “playoffs unlock an elevated version of all of us, from passionate fans to the unrivaled competitors across the league,” Henault said at the time.

The work, again from Translation, launched alongside the NBA’s first sonic brand identity, which mashed up snippets of balls bouncing on courts, sneakers squeaking on hardwood, roaring crowds, and swishing nets.

This campaign was swiftly followed a few weeks later by “The Toast,” which featured former pro basketballer Dwyane Wade as the master of ceremonies in a glamorous, mood-lit speakeasy, raising a glass of bubbly to “the season that was and the champion to be.”

Queen Latifah also took a starring role, alongside NBA legends Johnson, Isiah Thomas, and Ray Allen; ESPN commentator Mike Breen; and Women’s National Basketball Association stars Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky. Kimmel featured once more, with debuts from fellow comedian and actor Ken Jeong and legend Magic Johnson.

3. ‘The Heist and The Heist II’ (2023 and 2024)

In 2023, to hype its inaugural In-Season Tournament, Translation and the NBA premiered “Heist,” a stylized homage to Ocean’s Eleven with basketball superstars playing key roles in a swagger-filled crime-lite caper.

Acting as “the mastermind,” Michael Imperioli, best known for roles in Goodfellas and The Sopranos, led viewers through the fast-paced short film designed for social and online where the decorated athletes stalk their prize—the NBA Cup.

After the original racked up over 500 million views, a sequel dropped in Oct. 2024. “The Heist II” announced the upcoming 2024 Emirates NBA Cup.

Actor-producer Rosario Dawson joined the cast in her first ad for the NBA, with Imperioli and Los Angeles Lakers veteran Anthony Davis reprising their roles.

“We wanted to keep the narrative and the storytelling vehicle consistent,” Henault told ADWEEK at the time. “We’re continuing to build awareness and to educate people about this tournament, and we’re trying to speak to a broad base—casual fans, women, multicultural audiences, Gen Z.”

4. Unforgettable Awaits (2025)

Henault’s farewell campaign for the 2025 NBA Finals signed off with a blend of hoops, music, and nostalgia.

Set to “Unforgettable” by Nat King Cole, the Translation-created spot launched in May 2025 as an ode to the legendary moments that have defined NBA finals history, from LeBron James’ chase-down block in Game 7 of the 2016 finals, to the 2000 embrace between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

Interwoven with these historic highlights are reels of everyday NBA fans recreating the moments in their own lives, showcasing just how “unforgettable” the big event can be. Actors Kevin Costner and Mindy Kaling even get a cameo.

As well as linear and digital buys, a corresponding print, digital, audio, and out-of-home campaign extended “Unforgettable Awaits” globally.

A lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday accuses Horizon Media, the largest privately owned media agency in the world, of racial and gender discrimination, perpetuating a hostile work environment, and retaliation.

Charisma Deberry, who currently serves as vice president of strategic communications and engagement at Horizon, and Latraviette Smith-Wilson, who was previously chief marketing and equity officer, claim executives at the agency discriminated against them and retaliated when they opposed or reported unfair treatment. Both executives are Black, and Smith-Wilson was the company’s highest-ranking Black woman before her termination in April.

“Horizon’s most senior executives—including Founder & CEO Bill Koenigsberg, President Bob Lord, and EVP of HR Nancy Galanty—engaged in a sustained, escalating campaign of race- and gender-based discrimination constituting a hostile work environment and retaliation,” reads the complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York.

Deberry and Smith-Wilson are seeking monetary damages for the harms they allege, as well as punitive damages and non-monetary remedies that would force Horizon to change some of its practices.

“This case is about holding executives responsible for retaliation, discrimination, and fostering a hostile workplace,” said Anne Clark, a partner at Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C., who is representing Deberry and Smith-Wilson.

The company responded to the lawsuit in a statement shared with ADWEEK, writing: “Horizon is proud of our 35-year history of fostering an inclusive and award-winning culture. While we do not comment on pending litigation, we categorically reject these allegations and are prepared to vigorously defend them. We maintain the highest standards and stand firmly in our values and our people. We are focused on serving our clients and continuing to be one of the best places to work in the industry.”

Horizon is among the most reputable independent agencies in adland. It works with blue-chip brands including SharkNinja, Spectrum, and Warby Parker and, according to its website, employs some 2,500 staffers globally. The firm touts a motto of “business is personal” and has promoted the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the ad industry in years past.

Despite a company motto of “DEI is our DNA,” Deberry and Smith-Wilson allege that Koenigsberg and other leaders at the company frequently exhibited biased and targeted behavior toward them, including calling Deberry not “articulate” and demeaning Smith-Wilson as “defensive” and “incompetent,” while ignoring formal complaints. They also claim to have been excluded from key meetings, even when the meetings directly involved their responsibilities, the lawsuit alleges. 

Smith-Wilson also alleges that leadership denied her team staff and budget while giving more resources to White male executives who had narrower scopes of work.

In one instance in 2023, Koenigsberg allegedly told Deberry, who leads communications at Horizon, that it was her responsibility to “seduce” reporters—a directive that she believes sexualized and demeaned her professional role, according to the lawsuit.

In another meeting in September 2024, Koenigsberg told Smith-Wilson, then a C-suite executive at the company, that her role was to “serve” other Horizon leaders, the lawsuit alleges. Another executive also told her to “report to the board,” even though Smith-Wilson was herself a member of the company’s executive board; Smith-Wilson was not aware of any other executives that had been “told to serve or report to their peers,” the lawsuit claims.

A former employee at Horizon, a white woman, cited the mistreatment of Black women at Horizon when she resigned, according to the lawsuit. When Deberry attempted to corroborate the claims, the company’s HR leader Nancy Galanty broke confidentiality by telling leadership, and proceeded to label Deberry as “angry,” the lawsuit alleges.

The plaintiffs also assert that Koenigsberg actively tried to undermine and discredit the findings of a Horizon diversity and culture survey in 2023, challenging the benchmark baseline and rates of participation. When the results of a subsequent annual survey suggested employees took issue with inclusion at the company, Koenigsberg and Horizon president Bob Lord criticized the methodology and demanded that the survey company’s cofounder defend its credibility in a meeting with Horizon leaders, according to the complaint.

Smith-Wilson, who joined Horizon in 2022, was terminated from the company in April of this year, with Horizon leaders citing a “restructuring,” the lawsuit alleges. Less than a month later, a new enterprise-level CMO was appointed to take over Smith-Wilson’s role. The shakeup was not a restructuring, the lawsuit claims, but “a pretext manufactured to conceal discriminatory and retaliatory motives.”

“Companies don’t earn immunity by pointing to diverse hires or past awards; the law demands equal standards, equal opportunities, and equal respect,” Clark, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, said. “My clients never wanted to take this course of action. They achieved results despite resistance, and they’re stepping forward because mistreatment cannot be excused or normalized.”