Ogilvy Appoints David Ford and Philip Heimann to Worldwide Roles

Ogilvy today announced that Philip Heimann has been appointed worldwide chief marketing and growth officer and David Ford has been promoted to worldwide chief communications officer. Both leaders will report to John Seifert, chief executive, worldwide.

“In this extraordinary time, I am thrilled to have these leaders driving our growth initiatives and brand reputation efforts." said Seifert. "Over the past twelve years, Philip has become a trusted advisor to the C-suites of our most admired client marketers because he has proven that creativity is the engine that drives transformation and effectiveness for their businesses. He is also a passionate advocate for the Ogilvy brand and will be an incredible catalyst for growth as we further diversify our client portfolio. David has worked on the front-lines of some of the media industry’s most demanding assignments. He has brought a fresh perspective to our leadership team and we are fortunate to have someone with his diverse experience and range of expertise stepping into this role."

Heimann added: “I believe creativity has no borders and that it is the rich breadth and depth of our talent around the world that makes Ogilvy a transformative partner to our clients. I’m incredibly excited - and proud - to have the chance to partner more deeply with our global creative network to show the incredible value they deliver.”

In his new role, Philip will be responsible for overseeing and accelerating Ogilvy’s marketing and new business efforts. Over the past 20 years, Philip has successfully fostered cultures on the client and agency side where creativity flourishes and is directed to drive demonstrably better business results. He has led teams working on some of the most iconic brands including S.C. Johnson, Coca Cola, Netflix, Volkswagen, Dove and Harvey Nichols among others. Having worked across every continent, Philip brings a unique global perspective to brand building and what it takes to authentically connect brands to culture around the world. Since joining Ogilvy in 2008 Philip has served in a diverse range of leadership roles across markets. From 2013 to 2016 he led Ogilvy Paris, the company’s third-largest global client hub and the network’s second most-awarded creative office at the time. Prior to that he led new business and marketing for EMEA.

David Ford commented: “Ogilvy’s unmatched ability to deliver creative ideas that work together and add up to meaningful outcomes for clients has never been more relevant. It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to work with the incredibly talented people across our global network to spotlight their diverse expertise and amplify the reach of the work they do to make our clients brands matter.”

In his expanded role, David will be responsible for all of Ogilvy’s global internal and external communications activity and support content development and activation across all Ogilvy channels globally. He will also join a core network leadership team for Ogilvy’s global public relations and influence capability. Prior to joining Ogilvy in 2019 to lead Ogilvy’s corporate communications in the USA, David worked for several first-class media organisations including ABC News where he led media relations for a number of properties including ‘World News with Diane Sawyer’ and the news division’s award-winning breaking news, political, and investigative units. In that role he also served as a media strategist and spokesperson for some of ABC’s most respected journalists including Diane Sawyer, David Muir, and Martha Raddatz.

Following that, he spearheaded all communications for the launch of Fusion, a cable network backed by Disney/ABC and Univision. He went on to serve as senior vice president of PR and communications for Univision’s English-language media division Fusion Media Group which also included pioneering digital properties including Gizmodo, Deadspin, Jezebel, and The Onion among others.