Ogilvy Africa has appointed internationally experienced communications expert Howard Gregory as Managing Partner, to head up its Public Relations and Influence (PR&I) offering for its Nairobi office. He starts on 14th November and will report to Vikas Mehta, CEO of Ogilvy Africa
Howard has more than 25 years of experience in communications and joins Ogilvy Africa from Edelman UK, one of the most successful offices of the world’s largest PR firm. At Edelman, he’s held various leadership roles in strategy and business development.
“We are excited to have Howard joining as Managing Partner in Kenya. I look forward to working with him across the EMEA region to continue growing our PR and Influence business in Sub-Saharan Africa. I know that his appointment will help to bolster our strategic capability and our overall value to our clients.” Says Joanna Oosthuizen, CEO of PR&I for Ogilvy EMEA.
“World-class talent is a primary ingredient in creating a world-class service. Modern-day PR needs skill sets beyond ‘whom you know’ and more of, ‘what you know’. Howard brings with him the right pedigree and experience to help our clients in Kenya, and the region, to experience a world-class PR&I offering from Ogilvy Africa. We are delighted to have him on board and I look forward to working with him to rapidly evolve our PR&I practice in the region”, says Vikas Mehta, CEO. Ogilvy Africa.
This appointment is part of Ogilvy Africa’s strategic investments to strengthen its leadership position on the continent. Ogilvy Africa’s PR&I offering is widely regarded as one of the best in the region, where the Kenya office serves as its hub for East Africa.
After working in diverse roles at Diageo, General Electric and the top communications agencies, Howard has won accolades at Cannes and other notable global award shows.
“This is such an exciting time to join the team,” says Howard. “The time for Africa and the region culturally and commercially is now! The chance to contribute to the growth of businesses, brands and cultures, elevating themselves on the global stage, is truly a thrilling opportunity.
About Ogilvy Africa
Ogilvy Africa is the largest network agency on the continent catering to 39 countries with a team of ~900 people across Central, East and West Africa. Headquartered in Nairobi – Kenya, Ogilvy Africa manages a portfolio of over 100 brands for clients such as Airtel, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Distell, Equity Bank, Exxon Mobil, Kenya Airways, Mondelez, NCBA, Philips, PWC, SAB Miller, Sanlam, Total, UNICEF and Unilever amongst others.
It offers services across the full spectrum of marketing domains including Communication (Advertising, branding and content), Consumer Experience (Technology & e-Commerce), Growth Consulting (incl. Digital Transformation), PR & Influence (PR&I) and Media; all under one unified setup. The agency has also created proprietary marketing products in areas such as real-time marketing, social intelligence, virtual experiences, influencer management, e-commerce enablement and content hubs. Its unique operating model, One Ogilvy, allows clients and brands to cut the complexity of agency structures and create seamless omnichannel experiences for their consumers, across touchpoints. Fuelled by the holy trinity of content, data and technology; Ogilvy Africa strives to be the best-practice agency model, for Developing & Emerging markets.
With 20+ years in Africa, Ogilvy Africa has won the highest number of regional and global awards, including several firsts such as D&AD, Cannes Lions, LIA’s, Loeries, Clio Awards, Dubai Lynx Festival, and SABRE Awards (Global and Africa); to name a few.
Ogilvy is a leading global creative network of WPP, founded by David Ogilvy in 1948.
