Rokkan Bolsters Leadership Following Rapid Growth

NEW YORK, May 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fueled by recent new business wins, Rokkan announces the creation of four new roles, adding to an already impressive year of agency growth. James Cockerille is promoted to Chief Strategy Officer; Lindsay Williams is promoted to Chief Connections Officer; Alex Lea joins Rokkan as SVP, Executive Creative Director for Cadillac; and Tammy Hwang joins as SVP, Strategy to lead strategy across various accounts, primarily Verizon.

"Rokkan's unique approach to business doesn't end with the creative work we deliver our client, but it's embodied in the unconventional decisions we make as we build a diverse and exceptional team," said John Noe, CEO, Rokkan. "I'm delighted to elevate James to the role of Chief Strategy Officer. We were drawn to his expertise as a global brand strategist and steward, and his ability to bring a broader, less conventional perspective to the role; we want someone who can navigate the new world of advertising and provide leadership on how to creatively break down traditional models and architect new ways to serve brands," said Noe.

"Lindsay's role as Chief Connections Officer will be focused on deepening our ability to drive transformation and growth for clients with a growing focus on data and consumer engagement. The Connections group will also serve as a deeper connection point to more of the tools and resources the Publicis Groupe brings. James and Lindsay have been a perfect fit in helping to move Rokkan into the future, and we look forward to the brave, breakthrough work to come as we welcome Alex Lea and Tammy Hwang to the fold."

James Cockerille, Chief Strategy Officer
James Cockerille joined Rokkan in September 2017 as SVP, Strategic Integration to work across brands, with a specific focus on Cadillac. He immediately exceeded expectations, taking on strategic leadership during a time of rapid expansion and growth at Rokkan. His ability to look beyond traditional solutions and provide future-thinking counsel has been vital to Rokkan's continued success and the swift decision to name him CSO was organic.

Cockerille brings with him more than two decades of unique global branding expertise that spans market research and insight development to brand positioning and implementation. His career includes leadership roles a Interbrand and FutureBrand in Australia. His work on Cadillac during his time as global strategic lead at FutureBrand cemented his status as a dynamic, creative leader. Other client work includes Carlyle Group, BHP Billiton, Dow Chemical, Oculus and more.

Lindsay Williams, Chief Connections Officer
Lindsay Williams joined Rokkan in 2014 and quickly developed the agency's first media and analytics practice. Part consultancy, part SWAT team, her team specializes in connecting strategy across media, user experience, data and creative to help brands tell their best stories in a time of fragmented consumer attention. Williams' brand-side experience and strategic background helps her in solving complex business challenges through a mix of data and creativity.

Williams promotion to Chief Connections officer demonstrates Rokkan's deep integration within Publicis Groupe, and will help each leverage human insights captured through data and analytics to create more impactful work. Williams will be a key player in bringing siloed departments and work streams together to engage with new partners in a way that positions them for growth and delivers tangible business results.

Prior to Rokkan, Williams was global digital marketing director at Estee Lauder and worked in media at Aviatech and Razorfish where she served global brands like Mrs. Fields, Best Buy, Nike, Walmart and Mercedes-Benz.

Alex Lea, SVP, Executive Creative Director for Cadillac
Alex Lea brings with him diverse career experience to offer fresh and creative ideas on the newly won Cadillac business. He comes to Rokkan from Saatchi & Saatchi's New York office, where he worked on Walmart as part of Publicis' dedicated unit DeptW. Previously, Lea led creative for Ally Bank as group creative director at Grey New York, and before that was executive creative director for Erwin Penland's New York office working with L.L. Bean. Additional client experience includes Miller High Life, Keystone Light, General Mills' Fruitsnacks, Kraft's Capri Sun, Kool Aid, Microsoft XBOX, Kraft JELL-O, and more at high-profile agencies including Droga5 and CP+B, among others.

Tammy Hwang, SVP, Strategy for Verizon
Tammy Hwang will lead strategy for various Rokkan accounts with a specific focus on Verizon. Having worked with Verizon during her four years at MRM, Hwang has unmatched knowledge of the brand as well as a proven track record of leading strategy and planning for numerous other bluechip clients. Prior to joining Rokkan, she was EVP, Director of Strategy, at MRM/McCann, where she managed a team of 50+ overseeing all brand, digital, media, content and social strategy efforts for global and U.S.-based clients including Cigna, Johnson & Johnson, USPS, Verizon, IHOP, U.S. Army and more. Hwang has also held executive strategy positions at Fitzgerald & Co. and McCann New York.

In 2017, Rokkan broke the mold by achieving unprecedented growth during a time when the industry as a whole was struggling. In the past 12 months, the agency hired more than 50 staff members including seasoned, award-winning talent to lead new clients such as Verizon, Coca-Cola, Hilton, VSP and Cadillac.

ABOUT ROKKAN

ROKKAN is a creative agency born from digital, delivering strategy and execution for a rapidly changing, constantly connected world. Borrowing its name from the Japanese word for intuition, or "the sixth sense," the agency works with many of the world's leading brands to solve their most critical business challenges. Rokkan partners with companies including Cadillac, American Express, Verizon, Coca Cola, Hilton and others to embrace brave change. Founded in 2000, ROKKAN has grown from a three-person startup into a strategic and award-winning part of the Publicis Groupe, developing some of the most innovative talent in the industry. Check them out on Facebook and Instagram, tweet at @ROKKANmedia, or connect on LinkedIn.

Contact: Diana Dixon, 312.758.1380, [email protected]

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