BBDO Worldwide has announced a significant leadership transition as Andrew Robertson, the agency’s president and CEO for the past two decades, steps into the role of chairman effective October 1. This marks the first change in Robertson’s role since he assumed the position in 2004. Succeeding him as president and CEO of BBDO Worldwide will be Nancy Reyes, who currently serves as the CEO of BBDO Americas.
During his 20-year tenure, Robertson has been instrumental in shaping BBDO’s global success, working closely with major clients such as AT&T, HP, Mars Inc., and PepsiCo. He has also played a crucial role in securing new business with prominent brands like The Home Depot, Enterprise Holdings, and Heineken. In recognition of his contributions, Robertson was inducted into the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Hall of Fame in 2022. Under his leadership, BBDO was named Cannes Lions’ Network of the Year seven times and was recognized as the festival’s first Network of the Decade. Additionally, the agency was declared the most effective network globally five times by the Global Effies and earned the title of Best of the Best by WARC.
John Wren, chairman and CEO of Omnicom, BBDO’s parent company, praised Robertson’s impact, stating, “We have been extremely lucky to have an industry titan at the helm of BBDO for over two decades. Andrew’s passion for the business was felt by his people and clients alike, always hands-on to ensure the network maintained its industry-leading standards of creativity.”
Despite stepping down as CEO, Robertson emphasized that his move to chairman does not signal his retirement. He plans to remain actively involved, supporting Reyes and continuing his work with clients—a role he finds deeply fulfilling. Wren expressed confidence in the transition, noting, “We are grateful [Robertson] will continue to guide the network in his new role as chairman and are excited for Nancy to take the reins as CEO as she propels BBDO into the future.”
Nancy Reyes, who joined BBDO in October 2023 after leading TBWA\Chiat\Day as CEO, has quickly made her mark in her current role. Robertson highlighted her effectiveness as a leader, saying that her decisive and fast-acting leadership made his decision to step down “very easy.” Reyes herself expressed enthusiasm about her new role, stating, “I am excited to have the opportunity to bring the beautiful community of BBDO together to design where we go from here. This is a fantastic agency with a very long runway ahead.”
This leadership change is part of a broader shift within BBDO. Earlier this year, the agency appointed Emily Portnoy as chief strategy officer, and chief creative officer David Lubars announced his retirement plans for the end of the year. Additionally, BBDO recently brought on Jiah Choi, former president of Wieden+Kennedy, to serve as CEO of the agency’s New York and Chicago offices.
As BBDO looks to the future, the leadership changes signal a commitment to maintaining its creative excellence while adapting to the evolving needs of the advertising industry.
