Tor Myhren Appointed Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Of Grey

-- Award-Winning Creative Chief Integral To Grey's Success

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- James R. Heekin III, Chairman and CEO of Grey Group, today announced that Tor Myhren will assume the role of Worldwide Chief Creative Officer of Grey.  He succeeds Tim Mellors who is retiring after a highly successful 15-year career at Grey in the U.S and U.K.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131108/NY13654 )

Myhren will continue as President and Chief Creative Officer of Grey New York, responsible for the overall creative product.  In addition, he will participate in global new business and chair the Grey Global Creative Council, comprised of the agency's senior creative leaders, charged with continuing to enhance its creative quality, talent and profile around the world.

Tor Myhren has played a pivotal role in the ongoing success of Grey New York.  The agency's flagship office has doubled in size, enhanced its talent ranks, creative product, digital prowess and new business performance, achieving its sixth record year of financial and creative performance in 2013.

"In addition to his creative talent, and intuitive feel for popular culture, Tor is a natural leader," Jim Heekin said.  "He has helped shape a highly innovative, infectious and winning culture in our flagship New York agency.  In his new role, he will have the opportunity to evolve this culture of innovation across our global footprint."

Heekin continued, "What Tim has accomplished is the stuff of legend.  Under his creative leadership, together we have built Grey into a vital, stimulating, confident, winning agency which is respected and often feared by competitors.  He leaves with our everlasting gratitude and best wishes." 

About Tor Myhren 

Tor Myhren joined Grey New York as Chief Creative Officer in 2007.  He was promoted to President in 2010, the first creative person ever to lead the agency's flagship office.

Under his leadership, Grey has produced a raft of popular, highly-awarded advertising for such clients as DirecTV, Canon, NFL, Procter & Gamble's CoverGirl and Febreze, and he created the ETrade baby.  Grey's new business winning streak has included such blue-chip clients and brands as Gillette, Hasbro, Marriott Hotels and Resorts, AARP, Allergan, Pfizer's Advil, Kellogg's Pringles, Red Lobster, T.J. Maxx, Allianz, DirecTV and the NFL.

In 2013, Advertising Age named Grey to its prestigious A-List of the ten hottest shops in the U.S.  Grey New York was named to Creativity's A-List of the 10 most creative agencies in the world. And under Tor's leadership, Grey was twice named in Fast Company's "50 Most Innovative Companies in the World."

Tor Myhren has been named to the Creativity 50 list, Fortune 40 Under 40, Crain's 40 Under 40 and he has won every major creative award in the industry.

About Tim Mellors

Tim Mellors came into the Grey orbit in 1998 when Grey Group bought his successful agency, Mellors Reay, in London.  After a sabbatical in 2003, he took up the post of Chief Creative Officer of Grey North America, based in New York.  Jim Heekin appointed him Vice Chairman and Worldwide Chief Creative Director of Grey Group in 2007 and charged him with founding the Grey Global Creative Council.

A unique and inspirational evangelist for Grey's brand of "Famously Effective" work, Mellors has recruited world-class talent and mentored rising stars from Beijing to Rio.  Since 2007, Grey has won over 120 Cannes Lions.

Earlier in his career, Tim Mellors set London on fire at Saatchi & Saatchi, creating breakthrough work for British Airways, launching the Independent newspaper and catapulting Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives into power.  Along the way, he worked at Publicis, GGT, FCB London, DDB and Lintas, amassing 15 Lions, 5 D&AD Pencils, the Grand Prix at the European Advertising Festival and serving on every major worldwide award jury.

While rising to the pinnacle of advertising, Tim has been a magazine journalist, commercial film director, BBC TV host, trained psychotherapist, renowned photographer, painter and poet.

About Grey

Grey is the advertising network of Grey Group.  Grey Group ranks among the largest global communications companies.  Its parent company is WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY).  Under the banner of "Grey Famously Effective Since 1917," the agency serves a blue-chip client roster of many of the world's best known companies:  Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Diageo, Darden Restaurants, Pfizer, Canon, 3M, NFL, Boehringer Ingelheim, Marriott Hotels & Resorts and T.J. Maxx.   (www.grey.com) 

Contact: Owen Dougherty
+1-212-546-2551