JWT has appointed Seyoan Vela, formerly of Grey Amsterdam, as executive creative director of its Dubai office.
Vela, who took up his position on 4 September, fills the position left vacant by the departure of Christian Khoury at the end of last year. He will report to Ramsey Naja, chief creative officer of JWT Middle East and Africa.
Prior to joining JWT Vela was executive creative director at Grey Amsterdam where, working with fellow ECD Colin Lamberton, he helped the office become the most creative in the Grey network. During his tenure at Grey the agency won 12 major awards, including four at Cannes in the past two years.
“Seyoan brings in a perfect blend of forward thinking and strong creative management – not to mention the kind of creativity that made him a highly sought after talent,” said Naja. “I am delighted to have him on board.” Michiel Hofstee, managing director of JWT Dubai, added: “I am convinced that Seyoan’s entrepreneurial skills and management of big international businesses are the right set of experiences to suit the range of needs in our local and international clients extremely well.”
Prior to Grey, in 2006 Vela – together with his then art director Colin Lamberton – launched his own digital ideas company called Ether, in London, where his projects included launching BlackBerry Curve.