Rob Chalmers, previously R/GA’s ECD and head of experience design for Asia Pacific, has joined Engine Creative as its first chief experience officer.
Chalmers left R/GA in June to return to London after five years at the agency, where he worked with brands including Toyota, Nike, Telstra, Google, Shiseido, and Standard Chartered. Before that he worked in the Sydney office, after joining from AKQA London in 2014.
The new recruit will report directly to Engine Creative CEO Ete Davies, who has only been in his post for a few weeks, but seems to have injected some extra energy into the agency group, which is still waiting for the result of the final Audi pitch against BBH.
Chalmers said: “When I think about the impact that disruptive technology has had on consumer behaviour and expectations – and the new series of challenges it presents to brands – it’s clear they will need a new type of partner to adapt and grow. When you combine human-centered creativity with Engine’s full stack offering, you have the perfect platform to help brands take on these challenges.”
Davies said: “Rob has a unique ability to combine consulting and strategy, brand, experience design and technology. Clients love working with Rob because he makes the complicated simple, and manages to find the right balance between ambition, vision and pragmatism. He is a craftsman and a leader, and in an industry full of people who talk innovation and transformation but don’t always come up with the goods, Rob can be relied upon to actually deliver.”
