Frank Cartagena Joins MullenLowe as U.S. Chief Executive Officer

Today, MullenLowe U.S. announced the hire of its new CEO, Frank Cartagena, who will lead the agency of more than 400 people across offices in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles. By appointing a former chief creative officer to the highest rank, the agency reinforces its commitment to ideas, creativity, and craft while continuing to write MullenLowe’s next chapter.

“As New York CCO, Frank led multicultural agency the Community to earn top accolades and industry respect,” said Kristen Cavallo, CEO of MullenLowe Global. “His new business track record, creative chops, and galvanising leadership style make him an appealing choice for CEO and another important change for us as we modernise our leadership structure.” 

Frank’s appointment adds to recent leadership announcements that include ADCOLOR Beacon award winner Jordan Muse being named president of MullenLowe East, Javier Passerieu being promoted to president of MullenLowe West, and Kelly Fredrickson taking on the new role of chief culture officer. 

“More than a job title, this role is about seizing an opportunity to drive a culture of creativity that is much greater than just a department,” Frank said. “I’m ready to help shape and define the next chapter of MullenLowe for our people, our clients, and the industry. I love the agency’s challenger DNA and new modern positioning. I look forward to building on their momentum and becoming a place that consistently puts out some of the best work in the world.”

Over his 16-year career, Frank has made a mark by creating breakthrough work designed to get real consumers talking. Under his creative leadership, the Community produced this year’s most effective Super Bowl campaign for Netflix and GM. It was also named Adweek’s Multicultural Agency of the Year, an Ad Age A-List Standout, and Fast Company’s No. 6 Most Innovative Company and was ranked in the top 10 most awarded agencies in the world. Before that, Frank served as executive creative director at 360i, where he led a creative transformation and converted 90% of new business pitches, culminating in it being named a Campaign Agency of the Year. Some of his greatest hits include the “Doomsday Vault” and “Thins Protection Program” for Oreo, “The Maze” for Westworld and HBO, and the “Four-Year-Old’s Bucket List” for WATERisLIFE. 

“I’ve always admired Frank’s work, with a healthy dose of envy, so having him join our team is a big win,” Kristen said. 

Frank’s appointment as MullenLowe’s U.S. CEO comes on the heels of the agency’s celebrated global rebrand, winning Agency of the Year at the Art Directors Club, and a streak of new business wins, including the recompete for the Department of Defense’s $454M JAMRS contract, GEICO social, global investment firm Invesco, and Ghirardelli.