DDB North America Sparks Growth in Chicago with First Latina Female CEO

DDB North America today announced the addition of a new leader at the helm of their Chicago office. Andrea Diquez joins DDB Chicago as chief executive officer.

DDB looks to Andrea’s inspirational leadership to ignite growth for the region’s largest office. 

“Andrea is bringing an incredible set of skills and experience to DDB Chicago,” says North America CEO Justin Thomas-Copeland. “She is landing at DDB during an incredible time for our agency, but also at an amazing time in her career. She will become our first Latina CEO in Chicago, an office with a history of explosive growth and creativity. These are characteristics which Andrea innately brings through her leadership style and outlook. She combines creativity and connected thinking to deliver the unexpected to clients and spark growth.”

Originally from Venezuela, Andrea has spent the majority of her over 25-year career in New York, most recently serving as CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi New York. Under her leadership the office experienced a period of significant transformation, growth and industry recognition that included numerous creative and effectiveness awards.

Andrea brings to her role a people-first mindset and rich experience in capturing cultural moments and transforming business for her clients across multiple industries. This approach will drive the agency’s strategy across its global client roster. As DDB Chicago CEO, Andrea will report directly to Thomas-Copeland and oversee all aspects of the business for DDB’s largest North American office. 

“I’m thrilled to join the incredible team at DDB,” says Andrea. “DDB is famous for its creativity and I’m excited to infuse that creative spirit into every part of the business. I am drawn to DDB’s new ambition that combines creativity and connection to drive relevance, unlock audiences and ultimately grow our clients’ business in unexpected ways. I believe this will be a winning combination to continue the growth of DDB Chicago, too.”

An Ad Age Woman to Watch and ADCOLOR Champion award recipient, Andrea understands that diversity is critical in growing business and bringing creativity to clients. Throughout her career, Andrea has effectively built highly diverse teams that deliver powerful creative solutions for complex business challenges.

“Andrea will put DDB on a new trajectory,” says Justin. “We are honoured to have such a progressive, creatively minded and inspiring leader join our ranks. We look forward to Andrea sparking growth for our clients, their brands and also for our business.”