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Returning expat Simon Wassef appointed WhiteGrey chief strategy officer

WPP AUNZ owned agency, WhiteGrey, has appointed a new chief strategy officer, Simon Wassef.

Wassef’s appointment follows James Keeler’s move from chief strategy officer to chief experience officer at WhiteGrey.

Wassef will lead the strategy offering at WhiteGrey, working with clients to drive business and brand strategy that delivers transformation and growth.

Simon Wassef

Wassef has returned to Australia having worked overseas for a number of years. Most recently, he was chief strategy officer at TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles where he managed the consulting, content and connections strategy teams. Prior to that, he was the executive strategy director at R/GA London. Before that he was in Amsterdam.

In Australia and abroad, his experience includes working for brands such as Adidas, Absolut, Cadbury, Emirates Airline, Google, Guinness, Ikea, Microsoft, Nike, Red Bull, Samsung, Turkcell and Johnnie Walker.

He has won the Grand Effie for the RMS ‘Pinkie’ campaign, APG Gold for Beats By Dre, Jay Chiat Gold for Turkcell and has also been awarded at D&AD, AWARD, Cannes Lions, and David Ogilvy.

WhiteGrey Australia CEO, Lee Simpson, said he was looking forward to Wassef joining the agency.

“Simon is a superb strategic leader and a truly modern thinker who combines global experience and local knowledge – having spent 10 years of his career in Australia,” said Simpson. “He will not only build on our strong effectiveness story but elevate all of our output.”

In May 2018, WhiteGrey launched a new strategy. It has since become a Top Ten Agency in the Pacific (Cannes Creativity Report) and recently won the Grand Prix for Effective Innovation at the 2020 Global WARC Awards.

Last year it was appointed to the WWF account in Australia.

Wassef will work closely with head of strategy in Melbourne, Nathan Rogers.

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