IDEO, the global design and innovation company, announced that Derek Robson has been named CEO, effective January 5, 2023.
Robson has been Managing Partner of full service advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners (GS&P) since 2006, and has been its President since 2017. He led the company through strong growth, challenging financial times and a turnaround that led to the company being named “Comeback Agency of the Year” (“Agency of the Year with Triumphal Return”, in free translation) by Ad Age , in 2018. Last year, Fast Company named it “Most Innovative Agency” and “36th Most Innovative Company in the World” (“Most Innovative Agency” and the “36th Most Innovative Company in the World”, respectively, in free translation).
“What attracted me to IDEO was not just the breadth of the company’s creativity, but also the sheer ambition,” said Derek Robson . “It’s not just about doing great work with bold, forward-thinking clients, or design applied to incremental improvements. IDEO is about making positive change together with others and at scale, and who doesn’t want to change the world?”
Interim Co-CEOs Paul Bennett and Tim Brown will serve as Co-Chairs. Bennett and Brown will also continue in their current roles as Creative Director of IDEO and Vice President of Kyu, respectively.
“We were honored by the caliber of top candidates we had the opportunity to meet during our search for our next CEO, and we thank them for the insight they brought us,” said Tim Brown. “In Derek, we’ve seen a rare combination of experience and leadership qualities that will propel IDEO into its next phase. I’m delighted we have the opportunity to work together.”
“From the moment we met Derek, we knew he was the type of leader who understands how to build a culture where creativity can thrive to its fullest extent. That ability, coupled with humility and a determination to listen to everyone, is what great leaders must demonstrate today,” added Paul Bennett . “I couldn’t be more excited for him to join us at this crucial time.”
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