Jerry Buhlmann, the former CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network, has joined international digital agency Dept as a non-executive chairman, where he has been brought in to advise on growth and global expansion.
Dept was founded in Amsterdam in 2015 and now employs 2,500 people in 30 offices. The agency’s clients include Google, Meta, Diageo, Samsung, eBay, Amazon, Patagonia, ASOS, Philips, KFC.
In 1989, Buhlmann was one of the three founders of BBJ Media. In 1999 the business sold to Aegis, which in turn merged with Dentsu in 2013, following which he became CEO Of Dentsu Aegis Network.
Since his departure from Dentsu Aegis in 2018, the network, now run by Wendy Clarke, has become a very different place, with more emphasis on creative, integration, and a cohesive global brand.
Buhlmann has been keeping himself busy with a number of part time and non-exec positions in the media/tech world. Among these, he is chairman of digital agency Croud, digital HE marketer Hybrid, a senior independent director at Inchcape, and a director of Tulchan and ServicePlan.
Dept’s global CEO, Dimi Albers, said: “Jerry is a globally respected leader who deeply understands how important digital experiences are for brands today. His perspectives and experience will be hugely valuable, especially as we seek to maintain the agility, flexibility and personal relationships of a boutique agency.”
