McCann New York Fuels Award-Winning Practices with Key Leadership and Talent

McCann New York announces the addition of new talent to its leading practices McCann Content Studios, Design and Production, key capabilities that have been drivers of growth for the agency and its clients on a global scale. These new hires mark a continuation of McCann New York’s new chapter in leadership.  

"The heart of McCann is its people and the diverse perspectives they bring to their work and the agency,” said Amber Guild, CEO McCann New York. “Our clients look to us to lead their brands and businesses forward. In today’s hyper visual world -- a world that is evolving at an exponential pace -- we must continue to build the next generation of design, social, content and production capabilities. These leaders are critical to that work, and we’re excited about the talent we’re bringing in to supercharge our creativity.”

McCann Content Studios

McCann Content Studios has continued to drive business globally, signing clients like Reckitt in the UK and TJ Maxx in the US. To further support the demand and growth of the practice, we are strengthening the team in the US with two senior appointments; EVP, head of creative & social, Ezequiel “Gori” Nastasi and head of content & social, Amanda Davis. Working alongside Monica Tailor, chief social marketing officer at McCann Content Studios, Amanda and Gori will continue delivering social campaigns at scale and giving clients specialised services for the current creator economy.

Most recently at GUT Buenos Aires as the head of digital and social, Gori brings more than 10 years of experience, having earned two Cannes Lions Grand Prix and Best Agency in the World. Before joining McCann, Amanda led Social & Content at TBWA and Grey, helping earn recognition for their social and innovation work, including Cannes Lion wins in PR, Social, Influencer, and Gaming categories. Previously, she spent several years at VICE where she established their in-house agency, VIRTUE.

Production

Strengthening McCann New York’s overarching production capability as chief production officer, is Joe Calabrese who joins the agency’s executive leadership team. He will be responsible for spearheading innovative production solutions and transformation across all lines of business. Previously, Joe served as EVP, director of integrated production at Deutsch & Steelhead NY, where he oversaw a unified production engine across broadcast, innovation, experiential, social, digital, and print. McCann’s best in class Production department have been notably credited for award-winning work including Microsoft’s “ADLaM” campaign, Chick-fil-A's “The Brake Room” and most recently, Mastercard’s integrated “Stand Up to Cancer” campaign, which culminated in a drone show over the Hudson River.

McCann Design

Notable artist, Rachel van der Nacht has joined McCann Design as associate design director, continuing the growth of McCann New York’s award-winning design team. The team’s growth comes amidst a banner award season, with multiple campaigns being recognised, including “ADLaM” for Microsoft winning Best Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign at the 2024 Ad Age Creativity Awards, the 2024 ADC Designism Cube, Best Typeface Development in Monocle’s 2024 Design Awards, and “The Brake Room” for Chick-fil-A winning the Webby for Best Experiential Campaign and an ANDY. Additional design-led campaigns have included a custom typeface for TJ Maxx, a maximalist design system for Smirnoff's “We Do We” campaign, and an entirely new visual identity for Prudential. Rachel will report directly to the Head of Design, Matt van Leeuwen. 

In addition, Melissa Avery has recently joined the agency as SVP global creative director on the Chick-fil-A business. Previously serving as senior creative director at Verizon’s in-house agency, Melissa brings more than 20 years of award-winning creative experience, having worked on campaigns for brands like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Colgate, and Rubbermaid to name a few. This addition comes on the heels of Suzanne Ayello joining the agency as managing partner, leading the US Business across L’Oreal’s suite of brands.