monday.com Ltd., a work operating system (Work OS) where organisations of any size can create the tools and processes they need to manage every aspect of their work, has announced the appointment of Daniel Lereya as Chief Product and Technology Officer, effective immediately. During his seven-year tenure at monday.com, Lereya began by leading the R&D organisation and then expanded into overseeing the Product teams as well. As a vital part of the senior management team, Lereya is essential in using technology and innovation to drive monday.com’s forward-looking product strategy, vision, and execution. His holistic leadership strategies led to some of the company’s most pioneering product launches, including monday.com’s evolution into a Work OS, its ongoing expansion to a multiproduct company with recent launches of monday sales CRM and monday dev, and a multitude of key product elements, including monday AI. As CPTO, Lereya will continue to bring his expertise and leadership as monday.com continues to evolve.
Wolff Olins has been on a hiring drive to bolster its creative, strategic and culture firepower following a raft of new assignments and wins this year. Among the 11 new creatives, four new strategists and three additions to the engagement team, the global brand consultancy has hired Instagram Global Brand Strategy Lead Kwesi Blair as Senior Strategy Director in New York. Joining this month, he will be working across strategy for US and global clients, but also focused on deepening its culture and employee experience offer. His appointment further strengthens Wolff Olins’ experience offer, growing its team of specialists focused on both internal (employees) and external (customers) experience as core components of holistic brand building and business transformation. The business is also recruiting for an Experience Strategy Director in London. Blair spent two and half years at Instagram leading global brand strategy, and prior to that worked at SYPartners and was also Entrepreneur in Residence at the Pratt Institute. He’s worked across a wide range of brands, including American Express, LVMH, Target, CVS, Warner Media and IBM. Also among the 11 new creative hires – which include Senior Designers and Designers – is James McNaught, appointed as Associate Creative Director in London. He previously spent time at Zag, DixonBaxi and Koto. Further boosting the creative team are three internal promotions, including Jess Yan in New York and Matthew Haysom in London becoming Creative Directors. It is also looking to hire a new Creative Director and Senior Designer in London. In addition to Blair, the strategy team has hired three more strategists, as well as promoting six of its team, including Michele Kim to Senior Strategy Director in New York and Kate Pfeil to Strategy Director in London. It plans to further swell the team with the appointment of another Strategy Director in London. Three new joiners strengthen its engagement team, with Raphael Picciarelli also promoted to Associate Engagement Director in the US. This follows the promotions of Ian Caroll in the US and Elin Morris in London to Engagement Directors earlier this year, heading up client teams.
Wunderman Thompson has appointed Simona Suman as Chief Creative Officer at its German office. Suman joins Wunderman Thompson Germany from MRM/McCann Romania where she was Executive Creative Director. She replaces Michael Kutschinski, who left Wunderman Thompson on June 1st to pursue new professional opportunities. Suman will report directly into CEO Vanessa Kerkhoff and work alongside the agency’s Executive Creative Director Myriam Fynecontry-Herke as part of an all-female management team, responsible for the creative product and further advancing DE&I at the agency. She will be the creative lead for clients including Microsoft, Beiersdorf and Bayer, among others, and will take responsibility for the output of the agency’s creative department. Suman has been ECD at MRM Romania for the past three years, leading creative work for global brands such as Coca-Cola, KFC, Lidl, Mastercard and Sanofi, as well as local brands such as Albalact and ROM Chocolate. Under her leadership, MRM secured a raft of new business, developed new capabilities and doubled in size.
Investigo, the recruitment practice of The IN Group, has appointed industry veteran Derek Mackenzie as CEO of UK and Europe to lead its European expansion plans following the company’s rapid growth. With the appointment of Mackenzie, Investigo plans to bolster its headcount to 300 staff over the next year, up from 220, as part of a continued global expansion. The company currently has eight offices across the UK and US, with plans to expand to Europe. Mackenzie previously headed up the Technology and Transformation practice, growing the team from six to 75 staff across verticals including data, cyber and infrastructure. Alongside his role at Investigo, Mackenzie has launched Campaign, the UK’s first peer-to-peer LGBTQ+ business network for the recruitment industry, promoting inclusivity across the sector as well as championing diversity policies within The IN Group.
Tembo, the digital mortgage broker tackling the UK’s affordability gap, has announced the appointment of business leader Michele Golunska to its board. Golunska is Managing Director for Wealth and Advice at Aviva and was previously Chief Executive Officer at Sesame Bankhall Group. Golunska has also held senior roles at Friends Life UK, JLT Employment Benefits and Prudential insurance. Golunska brings decades of highly relevant experience including an extensive knowledge of the financial services sector, risk & stakeholder management and regulated advice. Golunska joins Tembo following the appointment of Jenny Watts as Board Chair of the company and at a pivotal time in Tembo’s growth.
An exciting summer of growth sees independent search-first digital agency Embryo take its team headcount to 64. Embryo has recruited four new digital experts to strengthen their reputation and continue delivering an innovative and results-driven service. The new hires include Ben Carter, who has joined as Organic SEO Account Manager, and Chloe Pryce as Senior Digital PR Executive. Whilst, Jim Walker and Miles Bloor have joined the agency’s client service team as Account Director and Client Services Manager respectively. Ben, Chloe, Miles and Jim won’t be the latest additions for long, with four more hires already scheduled to join the company before September. This impressive period of growth comes from current client demand and an influx of new clients in other countries reaching out to work with the agency.
Jim Wilkinson, CEO of Manchester-based car finance marketplace Zuto, has been announced as the incoming President of Greater Manchester community charity, Forever Manchester. As President, Wilkinson will champion the work of the organisation, helping to raise its profile and promote its achievements across the region. Wilkinson replaces William Lees-Jones of J.W. Lees Brewery, following his three-year tenure. Zuto has been involved with Forever Manchester for a number of years. In September 2021 it launched the Zuto Make a Difference Fund in partnership with the charity, to support a wide range of regional grassroots community groups. Since then, the fund has raised over £60,000 and supported 24 local community groups, benefitting more than 22,000 people.
