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DDB’s Alex Hesz joins Dentsu in global chief strategy role

Dentsu global CEO Wendy Clark has gone back to her former employer DDB to poach a new global chief strategy officer. Alex Hesz, who spent more than 10 years at adam&eveDDB (he joined when adam&eve was still an independent shop), and was promoted to DDB’s global CSO last year, has jumped ship.

In this new role at Dentsu, Hesz will work across media, creative and customer experience, as the group pursues its ambition to be “the most integrated agency network” across its brands, which include Carat, DentsuMB, Merkle and iProspect.

It’s a new challenge for Hesz, who will work on strategy at holding company level as well contributing to client business, reporting directly to Wendy Clark.

The appointment comes as Dentsu seems to be finally achieving the turnaround that Clark was brought in to achieve. Dentsu has had two consecutive quarters of growth, won Manulife and Kering, and recently appointed Fred Levron from FCB as global chief creative officer.

Wendy Clark said: “Alex’s appointment is game-changing for Dentsu. He is one of the foremost strategic leaders in the industry. On our journey to optimising from 160 [agencies] to six global leadership [agency] brands, this role is critical to integrate our total offering across media, CXM and creative, delivering growth and creativity for clients at the speed and efficiency demanded by the marketplace.“

Alex Hesz has drunk the Kool-Aid already. He said: “Dentsu is a truly integrated business across media, CXM and creative, led by a group of absurdly talented practitioners who are dedicated to the work, the culture and the society they are building together. The commitments to sustainability and diversity as drivers of that success are critical parts of that shared culture, and are values sincerely held and shared by everyone I’ve been lucky enough to meet.”

Before joining adam&eve, Hesz worked at independent creative agency Modernista! in the US. He also worked at DDB, BBH and M&C Saatchi.

adam&eveDDB promoted Martin Beverley to CSO in 2019, when Hesz moved up to a wider group role.

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