Jake Barrow, the group executive creative director of VML Sydney and Melbourne, has been appointed chief creative officer at VML in the Czech Republic.
He will move later this year. A replacement will be announced soon.
“When I first walked through the doors 13 years ago, I just wanted to make good work,” he said.
“Never would I have dreamed I’d become the creative leader of 2 offices and eventually transfer to the Prague office for a CCO role.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to work overseas, and Prague was on my radar because of the creative reputation of the office that Jaime Mandelbaum (CCO VML EMEA) built when he was there as ECD. With the current global leadership, staying in the network was a no-brainer.”
Having started as an art director at what was then George Patterson Y&R, Barrow went on to become creative director in 2015, ECD in 2017 and eventually group ECD of both Sydney and Melbourne offices in 2021.
During this period the agency won back the Defence Force Recruiting account, while defending the Monash University account twice.
Barrow said he's now very much looking forward to working with CEO’s Iva Welker and Bronislav Kvasnicka and the rest of the talented team in Prague.
"It’s already an incredible agency and I can’t wait to be at its service.”
VML APAC chief creative officer Paul Nagy said Barrow is one of the most talented, hard-working, creative, generous, thoughtful, meticulous, creative leaders he's ever had the pleasure to work with.
"He is focused and serious when he needs to be, and a joyful, funny, childish legend the rest of the time. Sure, he looks like the Monopoly Man (if the Monopoly Man took up boxing and served skater boi style with ironic t-shirts) but there’s no way we would have scaled the heights we have over the last seven years without him," he said.
"I am over-the-moon about his new gig as no one deserves it more and he will be a huge success. Barrow shines in Prague - you heard it here first.”
VML Melbourne & Sydney MD Sarah Bailey said working with Barrow has been a career highlight.
"He is kind, intelligent and wonderfully strange - the best combination for a creative partner. I think we’ve always trusted each other and that is something you can easily take for granted but never should because it’s very special," she said.
"I'm so excited for him and I can’t wait to send him postcards in Prague.”
VML AUNZ CEO Thomas Tearle said Barrow is utterly unique – a gentleman, a leader and a friend – humble yet confident, emotional yet balanced but always always delivered with dry wit and a grin.
"His creative leadership has taken our business so far and whilst we will miss him in Australia, I love that he’s stepping up in such a different role in our incredibly connected team. In his own words… ‘yeah boi’!”
CEO of VML Czech Republic Welker said the agency is thrilled to welcome Barrow as our new CCO at VML Prague later this year.
"As the leading agency in the Czech Republic, we've built a strong reputation for delivering impactful creative work for both local and global clients. With Jake's leadership and vision, we're excited to push creative boundaries even further and make our position as a creative powerhouse stronger.”
Barrow will continue working on key clients, such as Defence Force Recruiting, Monash and Haleon and will relocate later in the year. VML will announce a replacement for Barrow, shortly.
VML announced its global creative leadership team in January led by Debbi Vandeven, former global VMLY&R chief creative officer.
Locally the agency is undergoing a restructure that aims to create a single national leadership structure across the agency's Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney offices, according to insiders.
VML is currently defending the Defence Force Recruitment creative account, which Barrow will continue working on until his move later this year. Submissions have closed and insiders say the client is looking for a change.
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