In 2017, Michael Houston became only the fifth Chief Executive Officer of Grey Group in its 102-year history. Michael joined Grey in 2007 and helped win over $2 billion of new client marketing investment on the way to three “Agency of the Year” accolades. He was named MD of Grey New York in 2011, COO in 2012, CEO for North America in 2013, becoming Global President of Grey in 2016. Michael has worked in numerous aspects of the advertising business, including accounts, strategy, business development, and corporate communications. In addition to founding a brand consultancy in the 1990s, he’s held prominent leadership positions at KB+P, Landor, and Y&R. Michael was named to Crain’s “40 under 40” list in 2012 and the 4A’s list of "100 People Who Make Advertising Great" in 2017. He serves on the board of Concern Worldwide, a global humanitarian group dedicated to tackling poverty and suffering through emergency relief, education and development programs in the world's poorest countries.
John Patroulis, a globally recognized creative innovator and leader whose work has expanded the boundaries of advertising, was named Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Grey in 2017. John heads creative across the Grey network based out of New York. Prior, John spent six years at BBH New York, starting as CCO and rising to become its first-ever Creative Chairman. Under his leadership, BBH became one of the most awarded agencies in New York, and John was named to the Adweek 50. Before BBH, John co-founded both agencytwofifteen and T.A.G. in San Francisco, where he led the Xbox Halo 3 "Believe" global campaign, the most creatively awarded campaign of the decade. He began his career as a copywriter at TBWA/Chiat/Day, where he rose to global creative director, helping adidas become the Cannes Marketer of the Year. John has won every top international creative honor several times over, including the One Show "Best in Show”, the Grand Clio, The Grand Effie, and the Cannes Grand Prix.
Debby Reiner, Grey New York’s first-ever CEO, has been part of Grey’s success for over 20 years. In 2018, Debby announced a vision for a new innovation model, including investing 75% of Grey’s resources and talent into creativity, a commitment that will provide clients with the highest creative value. Debby joined Grey in 1989 after graduating from Harvard, helping build Grey into the number-one beauty agency in the world. After a successful stint running Clairol at JWT, she came home to Grey to lead the global reinvention of Pantene in 1999 and went on to help create game-changing campaigns, from Ellen DeGeneres for CoverGirl to transgender model Tracey Norman for Clairol. She led the global pitch for Gillette in 2013 and later added Venus, Braun, and The Art of Shaving business in 2014.
Cory Berger recently joined Grey Group as its first ever Worldwide CMO.
At Grey, Cory is responsible for driving the agency’s growth across the network, while leading the marketing efforts that communicate its iconic “Famously Effective” brand story and capabilities.
Cory previously served as Managing Director of independent creative agency, Pereira O’Dell, where he established and led its New York operation through an impressive run of growth and creative accolades. During his tenure the agency became one of the fastest growing and highly awarded creative shops in the city. In 2016, Cory’s efforts earned him a coveted spot on the Adage 40-under-40 list.
Prior to POD, Cory held roles at leading creative agencies including Mother, Momentum and Noise. A highly accomplished marketing leader, Cory has spent his career partnering with an impressive list of companies to develop breakthrough integrated marketing ideas and programs that inject brands into culture, and drive business results.
Justine Armour joined Grey New York as Chief Creative Officer in early 2020. She will help set and implement the creative vision, oversee all creative development, spearhead the recruitment of top talent and guide new business creative efforts.
One of advertising's most-lauded creatives, Justine Armour has worked in Brisbane, Sydney, Portland and Brooklyn. She has spent the last three years at 72andSunny becoming Executive Creative Director, leading the creative department and overseeing clients such as General Mills, Diageo, Spotify, Halo Top and Grubhub.
Earlier in her career, Armour spent five years at Wieden+Kennedy. She helped reinvent iconic brands like Chrysler, Dodge, Old Spice, Secret and Herbal Essences and drove market place success. Along the way, she held creative posts at McCann Erickson, BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi and Publicis Mojo in Australia.
“Justine brings a deeply impressive creative pedigree, a reputation for work that’s famous in the world as well as in the industry, and a thoroughly modern approach to leadership," John Patroulis said. "Not every great creative becomes a great creative leader, Justine has proven again and again, on big brands and at great agencies, that she’s both."
Jonathan, who joined Grey in 2015, has been charged with evolving our Strategy Group, one that is built for tomorrow and delivers breakthrough innovation. He drives the development and implementation of a single strategic POV and integrated creative thinking that leads to big-platform ideas true to our Famously Effective mission.
It’s been said that the future of advertising lies at the intersection of creativity, data, media, and technology. Jonathan brings a track record of success in all of these areas as well as in traditional brand planning. He joined Grey from Huge, the Brooklyn-based worldwide digital agency, where he served as Global Managing Director, Planning and Strategy, and oversaw an integrated strategic offering comprising over 100 individuals globally.
Jonathan has held senior leadership roles in strategic and account planning at both digital and traditional shops, including the digital agency Rosetta, where he developed and introduced a new planning philosophy for the “connected world,” and TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, where, among other things, he developed the global brand strategy for Michelin and led the Vonage account. He has forged successful integrated strategy models across disciplines as well as planning and creative collaboration across borders.
Ben began his career at Grey in account management, spending five years here before leaving in 2007. He came back to Grey in 2013 as Director of Business Development, introducing current and prospective companies to Grey’s services locally as well as globally across the network. In recognition of his success in that role, he was promoted to Partner, Director of Marketing, North America in 2016. Currently, Ben serves as Managing Director of Grey’s NY office overseeing the Account Management department. As a member of the Executive Management Committee, he is an integral part of the New York management team, leading key accounts and the overall marketing of the Grey brand.
Ben’s contention that Grey is far superior to all other creative agencies is based on experience: In between his stints at Grey, he worked at multinational agencies BBDO and DDB. Ben was the lead account steward for companies in various categories including professional services, retail, spirits, luxury, fashion, telecommunications, hospitality, and finance.
Lisa Fabiano, EVP, Chief of Staff Grey North America, brings over 20 years of progressive experience in corporate strategy, operational management, and human resources from global advertising and marketing firms. As chief talent officer for Grey North America, she led the strategy for the agency's human resource operations, including talent acquisition and retention, training and professional development, performance management, diversity, employee relations, organizational development, and compensation. Prior to joining Grey, Lisa was General Manager at HNW, a full-service integrated marketing communications agency, with expertise in the high-net-worth market. She worked in senior account management roles and as General Manager at Euro RSCG Worldwide, helping it become New York's fastest-growing agency and helping to develop the worldwide group into a top global agency network.
Chris oversees the financial operations of Grey North America, including financial planning, client compensation and profitability, client contract management and compliance, budget development, and resource planning. His acumen and oversight, combined with new policies he has developed, continue to enhance profitability throughout the agency.
Chris began his career at Ernst & Young, LLP & Andersen LLP, where he was recognized as an outstanding performer each of his nine years at the firm and quickly rose to Senior Manager. He serviced clients including WPP, Omnicom, Publicis, WebMD Health Corp., and Rémy Martin USA.
Chris holds a B.S. in Accounting from St. John’s University in Queens, New York.
Tony joined the company in November of 2013 and is responsible for directing the vision, long-term stability, and growth of Grey Midwest. Known as an innovative strategist, Tony’s broad domestic and international experience fosters a culture of success through encouraging a forward-thinking, collaborative approach to leadership and teamwork. As a business leader, Tony leverages his 30 years of global branding, sales, operations, finance, distribution, and marketing to drive growth and improve competitive position, quality, and customer service. He is responsible for the development of operational and strategic business plans for some of the best-known brands in the world. Before joining Grey, he was the North America Chief Financial and Operations Officer for Interbrand.
Adam has been navigating the ad industry with dimensionality and award-winning innovative work since 2006. Prior to Grey Midwest, Adam spent two years running Verizon’s Branded Entertainment business at mcgarrybowen, where he won a Digiday award for “Most innovative use of technology” and co-ran the Maserati account as well as created campaigns for Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Christian Siriano. Before heading to then POSSIBLE, now Grey Midwest, Adam and his creative partner aligned Verizon and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop the first game that allows anyone with a mobile phone to defend the Earth from real asteroids, which debuted on the Cannes Lions Innovation Stage in 2015. In 2010, as Creative Director/Partner for a small agency called RAIN, Adam won a People’s Voice Award for best mobile game of the year at the Webbys. You can see his work at award shows including Cannes, the Effies, Digiday, the Webbys, and more.
Alex Morrison serves as President, Grey West, overseeing the agency's Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. In this role, Alex leads the overall vision, culture, and growth of the agency on the west coast as a unified region.
Before joining Grey, he served as VP Managing Director, Content Studio at R/GA, where he ran R/GA’s content discipline globally, delivering an integrated model for the agency across its global network, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Chicago, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Sydney.
Prior to R/GA, Alex served as SVP, Director of Digital Marketing at Grey Group, where he drove significant digital business growth while championing the strategic integration of digital offerings across Grey’s North American client roster.
Alex also spent four years as Partner & EVP at AgencyNet, where he opened the agency’s New York office, and previously was the co-founder of a New York-based digital content start up. He holds his MBA from Columbia Business School and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters.
Rodrigo Jatene is Chief Creative Officer of Grey West, and member of the Grey Global Creative Council. He previously served as Co-President and Chief Creative Officer of Grey Brazil, leading his office to be the most creative shop within the network for 2 years in a row (2017-18) and the most innovative Brazilian agency at Cannes Lions for 3 years in a row (2016-18).
Throughout his career, he has won 56 Lions at Cannes - including a Grand-Prix in 2018 - plus numerous medals in all the most prestigious festivals around the globe, such as D&Ad, OneShow, Clio and LIAs, and 40+ Grand-Prix at shows like Andy Awards, Effie Awards, New York Festivals, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, among others. Some of his campaigns also figure amongst the acclaimed lists of Gunn Report, AdAge's Award Report and Directory Big Won Rankings.
Jatene is one of the very few people in the industry to achieve in 4 different opportunities a Cannes Gold Lion followed by a Gold Effie for the same project: ‘Corruption Detector’ in 2018, ‘The Colour of Corruption’ in 2017, ‘Bentley Burial’ in 2014 and ‘My Blood is Red & Black’ in 2013.
With over 19 years of experience, he has created campaigns for brands of almost every industry, working in agencies like Leo Burnett Tailor Made, DM9DDB, AgenciaClick, EURO RSCG, McCann Erickson Madrid and Wunderman Brazil.
Jatene has 2 sons, a lovely wife and when not working or watching a Santos FC’s match with his kids, he's probably out running. Or swimming. Or biking.
At the helm of Montreal-based TANK's remarkable growth trajectory for the past decade, Marc is now poised to lead further growth of our newly merged National agency team. He has gained a reputation as a trailblazer in the industry, building a strong track record in both consumer and healthcare communications. His philosophy has always been to surround himself with the crème de la crème of like-minded creative minds and strategic brains; challenging them to solve business problems with expertise and system-based thinking.
Clients have formed long-term trusting relationships with Marc thanks to his pioneering spirit and enthusiasm for their business realities. He sits on the board of A2C : The Association of Creative Communications Agencies, where he pursues his goal of establishing Montréal as a creative hotspot and increasing the city’s global visibility. A father of two and avid outdoorsman, he is always on the lookout for a new challenge including hiking up the mountain to make the downhill ski more interesting.
The son of an Italian theater actress and a Spanish cartoonist, Emiliano was born in Milan and raised in Madrid. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College in New York, he worked as an investigative journalist for two years. He then transitioned into advertising.
In 2013, Emiliano joined independent Peruvian shop Circus as an Associate Chief Creative Officer, with the mission of leading the agency’s creative integration into the Grey network. Under his command, Circus Grey was awarded the office's first Lions in more than a decade. A process that culminated in 2017 with the biggest Cannes win in the history of Peruvian advertising to date: Five Gold Lions and two Silver.
Emiliano is currently a Global Executive Creative Director at Grey Global, and has recently taken on the role of Chief Creative Officer of Grey Canada. His work has earned him 34 Cannes Lions and other recognitions from D&AD, The One Show, Eurobest, El Sol, the Creative Club of Spain, and Ojo de Iberoamérica.