Leo US Appoints Cristina Reina as Chief Experience Officer

Photo credit: Norman Jean Roy

Leo US has appointed Cristina Reina as chief experience officer. In this newly created role, Cristina will bring her distinctive approach to the full consumer experience to Leo's thriving creative community in New York and Chicago. The appointment builds on Leo's strong momentum and new business growth since its global launch in January 2025.

Cristina joins Leo following her tenure as partner and chief creative officer at Quality Experience, which unfortunately closed after the passing of founder Ari Weiss. She brings a wealth of experience from leadership roles at McCann New York, where she served as EVP, global executive creative director and head of Art North America, and DDB, where she spent nearly a decade in creative leadership positions across DDB New York and DDB Madrid.

"Cristina embodies the human creativity that defines Leo," said Marco Venturelli, co-president and chief creative officer of Leo. "Her perspective is the consumer’s - from advertising to commerce to platforms - which makes her invaluable to our creative community. Her meticulous attention to understanding all formats and impeccable design aesthetic define modern creativity."

Recognised among the industry's top talent in the Cannes Lions Top Talent Report and Adweek Creative 100, Cristina is known for her award-winning work, including the Microsoft ADLaM project which earned two Cannes Lions Grand Prix and was recognised as one of Fast Company's World Changing Ideas.

"I'm so looking forward to working with the incredible talent at Leo," said Cristina Reina. "Leo represents a bold vision for what a modern creative agency should be - one that seeks to disrupt norms by leaning into our humanity."

Reporting to Marco Venturelli, Cristina will collaborate with US creative leadership - including Leo New York CCO Joe Mongognia and Renato Fernandez, CCO of Leo Chicago and Publicis Creative US – to elevate the agency's creative ambition. She'll guide the development of bold, culturally resonant work across all touchpoints. Her appointment reinforces Leo's continued investment in building a modern, creatively led agency model as it continues to strengthen its position as the global creative network of choice for brands.

Leo US has also strengthened its creative team with Dean Paradise and Adriano Matos joining as executive creative directors at Leo Chicago. Dean, with over 100 international awards, comes from GUT Miami, while Adriano, who has won 47 Cannes Lions across 18 categories, returns to Leo after his role as global executive creative director at Ogilvy.