Scott Kavanagh Joins TBWA as Managing Director of Nissan United US

TBWA\Worldwide has hired WPP veteran Scott Kavanagh as managing director of Nissan United US, the dedicated multi-agency leadership team within Omnicom that directs all US marketing and communications for Nissan.

As managing director, Kavanagh will lead Nissan United in the US, serving as marketing, advertising, and media advisor and counsel to Nissan management. He will be responsible for driving Nissan's business outcomes, and the integration, governance, and innovation of the NU team, a multi-disciplinary unit that combines creative storytelling with unprecedented levels of data acumen — including the incorporation of Omnicom’s new industry-leading data practice, Omni — to create the most creative precision-marketing automotive team. Kavanagh will start immediately, reporting to Nissan United president and TBWA’s president of global clients Jon Castle, and TBWA\Chiat\Day NY CEO Rob Schwartz. 

“The auto business is going through a period of massive change, and not only do we need new agency models to help brands like Nissan capitalize on this change, we need next-generation leaders like Scott Kavanagh to lead it,” said Castle. “He is a truly modern marketer with years of experience under his belt, who listens and leads with energy and passion. We are excited to welcome him to Nissan United.”

Kavanagh comes to TBWA from WPP’s dedicated Ford agency GTB, where he held multiple roles for almost 19 years, and helped WPP to modernize its Ford offering. Most recently, he was global chief of staff and global chief talent officer for the agency and had previously served as president of the GTB Canada business. He also was SVP of communications and EVP, global business director for other dedicated Ford teams within the WPP family.

Kavanagh was also EVP, global managing director for WPP’s Hudson Rouge, a dedicated agency instrumental in the reinvention and turnaround for The Lincoln Motor Company. He first joined WPP in 2000 as VP, northeast managing director for JWT in Boston, where he was born and raised. 

Kavanagh added: “Nissan has always been one of those brands that has captured my imagination with their innovative and exciting products. Marry that with the chance to work at a disruptive company like TBWA, with its amazing legacy and passion for creativity and a commitment to making truly creative personalized consumer experiences at scale, and I simply couldn’t pass that up.”