Funworks Boosts Leadership Team with Multiple Key Hires

Following on from its work for software company Freshworks, Oakland-based agency Funworks welcomes four exciting new additions to their creative and account teams. Drawn from some of the most legendary agencies in advertising, their expertise will further strengthen Funworks’ already powerful offering, helping to solve real business problems for their brand clients.

The recent hires include Claire Crozier as senior account director, Jiangzi Tan (Tanny) as senior art director, Kevin Turner as senior copywriter and Nicole Dongara as account director. According to Funworks CEO Paul Charney, this growth is a natural result of the success of their improv-inspired Funworkshops, a method for clients and creatives to quickly generate great ideas. “This rush of new talent is a signal that people are eager to explore new ways of collaboration,” he explains. “Because our process allows us to work directly with company leaders who are wrestling with real business or product challenges, we needed to grow to become an even better creative and strategic resource and understand even more about how to serve our client’s needs.”

The four join Funworks as some of the best in their respective fields. Jiangzi Tan was senior art director at both McGarryBowen and Argonaut, working with Intel, Disney, and Fitbit. Kevin Turner joins from Oakland agency EVB as senior copywriter, where he worked with a range of clients like Jameson Irish Whiskey, Pandora and the LA Clippers. 

Senior account director Claire Crozier previously built her management career at Collinson, eventually becoming the global account director. For a decade, she collaborated with many of the world’s leading financial services, airline, hotel and retail brands, helping shape their loyalty initiatives, customer benefits and reward programs.

Account director Nicole Dongara most recently worked at BBDO, managing communication planning and campaign development for American Girl, Barbie and Fisher Price. Before that, she worked at Havas, driving ROI for best-selling condom brand Durex and helping to lead a successful holiday communications plan for eBay. 

For Funworks, each new member is a perfect fit, completely aligned to their vision of the future of advertising. “The thing that's really exciting about Claire, Tanny, Kevin and Nicole is that they are all willing to explore and experiment,” says Charney. “They came to us because they want to try a new process that's more efficient and that can get them closer to creating work that makes a real difference for clients and customers.”

“The industry is ready for change,” he continues. “We’re convinced that clients are ready for change as well; something we've been able to prove over the past four years. That’s the opportunity we’re offering to our team and to our clients; a chance to deliver on the promise of brand transformation. So far, it’s definitely paying off and I can’t wait to see where this takes us.”