Sorrell’s trusted lieutenant Jon Steel to GPY&R vice chairman and chief strategy officer

Acclaimedstrategic planner and author Jon Steel has been named as chief strategyofficer and vice chairman of George Paterson Y&R.Steel, who recently took up residence here in Perth, has for the past nineyears been the global head of planning for the WPP Group.His decision to join GPY&R was based on what he sees as thepotential for the business under the leadership of Nigel Marsh andRussell Howcroft.

Says Steel: “It’s a great agency brand, with even greater promiseso it was a pretty compelling offer. Because we share a commonphilosophy on creativity and planning, I’m certainly not setting out tochange what the agency wants or how it works. For me it’s the perfectenvironment – I’m just looking to do more of the good stuff, more ofthe time.” 

Widely regarded as one of the best plannersin the world, Steel started his career at London’s Boase MassimiPollitt before joining what is now Goodby, Silverstein & Partnersin San Francisco. In ten years he helped grow GS&P from a US $30mregional agency into a US$1 billion national and international force;his planning department was a key factor in the agency’s spectaculargrowth and creative success. He received a David Ogilvy Gold Award forproving, with the famous got milk? campaign, that research andcreativity worked hand in hand, and has won eleven gold Effie Awards(including a Grand Effie) from the American Marketing Association foradvertising effectiveness. 

Steel is the author of Truth, Lies &Advertising, an enthusiastic, irreverent and insightful look at what ittakes to create great ideas, and Perfect Pitch, an enthusiastic,irreverent and insightful look at what it takes to sell them. Bothbooks have led his peers to describe him as one of the industry’s greatpractitioners. 

Nigel Marsh, CEO of Y&R Brands, saidthat securing a talent of Steel’s calibre was a major coup forGPY&R: “He is, without doubt, one of the best strategic brains inthe business, and will bring a new level of insight to the GPY&Roffering. I’m thrilled he is coming on board.”

Steelwill continue to work on special projects for Sir Martin Sorrell: hedirects the WPP Fellowship (an elite global graduate recruitment andtraining program), as well as providing counsel to a range of WPPoperating companies. 

Steel said that he looked forward to beingpart of the GPY&R team: “In Nigel, Russell and the rest of themanagement team I see kindred spirits – I respect them professionally,but I also know we’ll have a lot of fun together. And when you’rehaving fun, it’s much easier to do great work.”