Rob Chalmers takes up chief experience officer role at Dentsu Creative

Former Engine creative chief experience officer Rob Chalmers has joined Dentsu Creative as UK CXO.

Chalmers was brought in by Engine to head up the agency’s first brand and experience consultancy three years ago, and has worked with high-profile clients including Toyota (where he grew Australian market share by 24%), Pizza Express, Apple, Nike, Google and Samsung.

Reporting to James Morris, Dentsu Creative's chief executive officer, EMEA and UK, Chalmers will lead a team of 90, with a remit to build what the agency bills as “society-changing, future-facing business and products”.

That means using experience innovation to grow markets and other business opportunities for a client list currently headed by Clarins, Shiseido, Asahi, Visit Scotland and the Royal Academy of Music.

Dentsu was doubtless attracted by Chalmers' creative thinking and impressive track record in experience and business growth, which has seen him lauded with industry awards but also created some very healthy financial prospects for clients, three of which have obtained unicorn status after working with the former R/GA APAC executive creative director.

The move signals Dentsu Creative UK’s first hire since it launched a global network at Cannes Lions last month, and Morris is excited about the fresh energy and ideas Chalmers will bring to his new employer.

“Rob is an exceptional creative entrepreneur who thinks through products and services to imagine new things," he said.

For his part, Chalmers said that coming to Dentsu felt like a logical next step in his career.

He added: “I’m a huge believer in what Dentsu Creative is building. Everything I have done has involved building new creative capabilities to help brands solve their next big problem through experience.

“To have that reflected not only in the agency’s ambition for modern creativity, but in its existing capabilities, diverse people and perspectives is even better.”