AnalogFolk appoints global CEO

AnalogFolk has appointed former Publicis Worldwide boss Guy Wieynk as global chief executive, as Bill Brock takes on a new role to focus on global business development.

The independent digital creative agency is also buying Serum Consulting, the eight-person consultancy that Wieynk launched earlier this year. Wieynk completed his gardening leave in June after leaving Publicis Groupe last year.

Wieynk is tasked with overseeing the network’s 350 people across Hong Kong, London, New York, Portland, Shanghai and Sydney, as well as evolving AnalogFolk’s international service offering.

He was recruited for his operational expertise and a track record in managing international clients, which has risen up the agenda for AnalogFolk as its US revenue is on track to overtake the UK. The agency is also futureproofing itself for potential acquisitions or joint ventures in the US, and Wieynk has recent experience of merging London agencies for Publicis.

The agency also wants to increase collaboration between its offices to better serve global clients such as Nike, Unilever and Diageo.

As chief client officer, Brock will now lead global business development efforts, while Matt Dyke will continue as global chief strategy officer. Brock and Dyke founded AnalogFolk in 2008.

Brock said: "I’m delighted Guy is coming on board to accelerate our global growth plans. He’s an expert in scaling future-focused agencies and it's an exciting time for our clients and folk across the network.

"He brings 25-plus years' experience, proven leadership qualities and exceptional client experience to AnalogFolk, not to mention a very exciting new-business pipeline in Serum, and I’m extremely thrilled he’s our global chief executive." 

Before Serum Consulting, Wieynk was UK and western Europe chief executive at Publicis Worldwide (now Publicis.Poke) and is credited with leading the group’s "turnaround and resurgence" and helping to bind its constituent agencies—Publicis London, Poke, Arc, August and 82 Baker Street Productions—into a "strong, multidisciplinary" business.

Wieynk was also the global client lead for Heineken, running the network’s creative, media and technology agencies across 150-plus markets.

Before joining Publicis, he spent 17 years in a variety of senior roles in the UK, US, Asia and Europe.

Wieynk said: "AnalogFolk has a great culture, free from bureaucracy, that allows them to act like a start-up, whilst having the scale of a network to deliver for their clients. I was very impressed by their speed and depth of digital thinking, so when Bill and Matt approached me about acquiring Serum and joining as global chief executive, it was an easy decision."