Michael Maedel, JWT’s president, announced the appointment of BBDO Philippines’ former Vice Chairman Jos Ortega as the CEO of JWT Manila, effective July 7, 2008.
Jos is one of the preeminent strategic thinkers in the industry. For the past three years, as founder and chairman of BrandLab, he provided counsel to companies as McDonald’s, Monde Nissin and Chowking.
“Since JWT Manila already has a strong management team in place, we looked very carefully to identify and hire someone who would complement the existing management team,” said Michael Maedel. “Jos’s past strategic leadership roles in BrandLab and BBDO will be a tremendous asset in guiding the office into the next phase of growth.”
At the start of 2008, JWT Manila lost its CEO, Matt Seddon, to Ace Saatchi & Saatchi and its strategic planning director and VP, Kiran Vaswani, to Zenith Optimedia Philippines. Until recently, General Manager Raul Villegas, who also heads Account Management, was left to run the agency.
JWT Manila is the Philippines’ shining creative star internationally. In the past year, it created history by being the first-ever Philippine agency to be awarded the prestigious Gold Cannes Lions. And just recently, JWT Manila won a Bronze Clio for their Shell radio commercial.
“While it’s never easy to say good-bye to colleagues that you have worked with for many years, I am looking forward to my new adventure at JWT Manila,” commented Jos Ortega. “Together with the existing management team, I intend to create an inspiring environment that will deliver great ideas in more creative platforms for our international and local clients.”
Jos Ortega began his career in SCC&B: Lintas, the forerunner of Lowe, but gained notice when he became planning director at Ogilvy & Mather, and eventually, the head of its now-defunct Cebu office.
In O&M, he worked with David Guerrero, with whom he started BBDO Guerrero Ortega. In 2004, he withdrew from the management and operations of BBDO Guerrero Ortega, to concentrate on providing strategic planning through BrandLab.
Speculations on his new role in JWT began when he handed the reins of BrandLab to his wife Vicky Ortega. Then on June 6, BBDO confirmed that Ortega had sold his equity in the Manila agency, leaving him free to join JWT, a WPP agency.
