Johannes Leonardo Hires Bill Afonso as Chief Financial Officer

New York-based creative agency, Johannes Leonardo today announced the appointment of Bill Afonso as Chief Financial Officer. 

He comes to Johannes Leonardo after spending 10 years with 72andSunny, first in the agency’s Los Angeles office for seven years and, most recently, in Amsterdam for the last three. While at 72andSunny, Afonso was instrumental in growing the agency’s Amsterdam office, overseeing the financial considerations of the expansion into Western Europe. 

Afonso brings a creative flair to what has typically been a myopic role. Prior to joining the world of advertising, Afonso worked in Hollywood, at a talent management agency where he worked in the television sector. 

“I believe that there’s an art to dealing with the financial health of an agency,” said Afonso. “Too often agencies are willing to take risks in their work and on their people until the finance team walks in and throws a spreadsheet at them. I think the best agencies are ones not governed from spreadsheets, but ones that let passion, gut and experience guide their decisions.”

Afonso is the agency’s first C-level finance department appointment in its history.