TBWA\Chiat\Day New York Names Tom Sussman Chief Strategy Officer

​TBWA\Chiat\Day New York has announced that Tom Sussman has joined its New York leadership team. The move comes during a period of new growth and momentum under CEO Emily Wilcox. Over the last year, the agency has won Carnival Cruise Line, Wells Fargo, and Aperol Spritz, and was named Adweek’s Global Agency of the Year.

Tom joins TBWA\Chiat\Day NY on July 14th from Leo Burnett UK, where he was deputy CSO. In his five years at Leo Burnett, Tom was twice named Campaign Strategist of The Year (2024 & 2023) and played a key part in the agency’s recent resurgence. In his new role at TBWA\Chiat\Day NY, he will oversee the agency’s strategy department, grow client relationships, and make sure rigor and real business impact are built into every creative idea.

Emily Wilcox, CEO of TBWA\Chiat\Day NY said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Tom to TBWA\Chiat\Day New York. His creative energy, passion for effectiveness, and proven ability to inspire teams are exactly what we need as we continue to shape the future of our agency and our clients’ brands. Tom’s track record of delivering transformative work speaks for itself, and I couldn’t be more excited to see how his leadership will accelerate our momentum and help us push the boundaries of what’s possible.”

Tom Sussman shared, “There are some calls you just answer. And if you have any interest in creativity, a call from Chiat\Day is one of them. Was it a wrong number? We’ll never know. But from those very first conversations with Emily, I wanted in. There’s clearly something special happening at TBWA\Chiat\Day NY and I feel unbelievably privileged to be joining the gang. I can’t wait to see what we can all do together.”

At Leo Burnett UK, Tom contributed strategies across the agency’s client roster and new business wins for Morrisons, The National Lottery, PayPal, Victorian Plumbing, MOJU and Škoda Social. His leadership on McDonald’s also led to a strategic and creative renaissance for the brand in the UK, with award-winning campaigns that included 'Raise Your Arches' and 'McRib Mistakes.' These efforts resulted in three effectiveness Grand Prix, as well as Cannes Lions, Effies Gold, APG Gold, IPA Gold, and the Broadbent Prize for Best Dedication to Effectiveness.

Beyond the work, Tom spearheaded improvements in both the diversity and skillset of Leo Burnett’s strategy department. Specifically, he oversaw the introduction of social, comms, and cultural planning functions; founded the agency’s ground breaking research platform (PopPulse); and re-established the agency on the mainstage of the industry’s biggest effectiveness awards, delivering over 20 effectiveness wins during his tenure. Before his time at Leo Burnett, Sussman spent seven years at adam&eveDDB, rising to become Planning Partner. While at the agency, he worked on clients including John Lewis, Volkswagen, MARS, and Heineken.