The Creative 100: 26 Agency Leaders You Should Be Watching

Adweek - David Griner

Leaders of the agency world used to be seen as names on doors, authors of books and fonts of quippy, quotable wisdom. Today’s best leaders, however, can be found operating at the ground level each day, leading by listening so they can stay in tune with the needs of their teams, their clients and the ever-evolving culture around them. Here are 26 names you should know when it comes to excellence in modern agency leadership.

Photo courtesy Jashiro Dean

Husani Oakley
Chief tech officer, Deutsch New York
Based in: New York

Recent work: Budweiser’s “Be a King” campaign. “We rolled out limited-edition bottles with exact replicas of [soccer star] Sergio Ramos’s tattoos,” he says. “Purchased via select online and physical retailers, once you got your hands on one, you could unlock exclusive content where Ramos explained the meaning behind each tattoo.”

Advice for rising creatives: “Don’t just stay curious about how things work under the hood—act on that curiosity. Figure stuff out, poke and prod. And there ain’t nothing wrong with liking both Mozart and 90 Day Fiancé. Stay engaged with what people out there are talking about.”

Personal mantra: “Every idea can be made better with a little bit of elbow grease.”