Future calls, DraftFCB answers with two senior appointments
Kamran Kazalbash has been appointed as the general manager of retail at DraftFCB and Angela Spain will be coming on board as general manager of the agency’s public relations arm.
Kazalbash, who arrived in New Zealand last year from the UK, has an extensive retail/FMCG background and was previously an account director at Cedar Communications Ltd (part of AMV/BBDO), where he worked with Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer. Most recently he was part of the team at .99. In the new role he will take responsibility for DraftFCB’s retail capability across their entire retail portfolio, initially focusing on the Whitcoulls, Westfield, and Noel Leeming Group accounts.
“The client list at DraftFCB is enviable to say the least. They already have an impressive retail operation, a first class line-up of retail talent in the agency, and they’re the [Fairfax/AdMedia] Agency of the Year – this was an opportunity too good to turn down.”
Bryan Crawford, chairman and group chief executive says it was a two and half year search to find to right candidate and thinks it’s important the agency continues to add value to clients both at a strategic and operational efficiency level. So with a retail operation bigger than most specialist retail agencies it wanted someone with a proven track record.
“Kamran’s previous experience in New Zealand and abroad will be a welcome addition to the team. He knows retail advertising and strategy intimately, has solid experience with online retailing, loyalty schemes, in-store execution and is ultimately focused on delivering clear business results. Quite frankly, we’re lucky to have nabbed him.”
Crawford says Spain’s arrival from Professional Public Relations, where she managed a staff of 16 and had 40 clients on the roster, will add to the PR department’s growth. She and her new team will continue work on existing clients such as Coca Cola, Cerebos Gregg’s, MasterCard, and the Ministry of Health and attempt to build the overall PR offering at DraftFCB.
“DraftFCB has arguably the best integrated communications offering of any agency in New Zealand. I am excited about the opportunity to ensure PR is part of the strategic planning process at the start of large creative campaigns,” she says. “I’ve worked with many blue chip clients across a broad range of sectors and I look forward to bringing that experience to DraftFCB’s equally high calibre portfolio. With access to the full spectrum of communication resource in house I can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Prior to her role with PPR, Spain held senior roles at Raynish & Partners (Auckland) and College Hill Associates (London) and has worked in the PR/communications industry for over 12 years.
Crawford sees these two appointments as vitally important in building on the success that DraftFCB have enjoyed over the last four years.
“Since 2006 DraftFCB has enjoyed phenomenal growth, well in excess of 100 percent, in fact, by delivering outstanding business outcomes for our clients and by working as a team. But to reach the next level we need to have the right people in the right roles. We’ve thought very hard about the group structure and then searched long and hard to fill these two positions so we are looking forward to having Kamran and Angela on board to provide leadership and fresh ideas. They are a vital part of our long term plans for the agency”.
DraftFCB are also currently conducting a global search for a new managing director after Justin Mowday took up the same position with DDB. An announcement is expected soon.
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