LONDON — Burson Cohn & Wolfe has appointed Jan Warp as managing director of digital innovation for its Europe & Africa region.

Warp, who will be based in Munich, will take over the leadership of BCW’s Digital Innovation Group (DIG) in the region from Kate Joynes-Burgess, who continues as a part-time senior director and part of the DIG Advisory Board while conducting PhD research at the University of Oxford into ‘infectious content’ on social media.

Before joining BCW, Warp was head of digital strategy at German IT consultancy Maibornwolff. He was previously at home appliances giant BSH – the joint venture between Robert Bosch and Siemens – for seven years, including as head of social media in the company’s Global Digital Transition group.

He has also worked at BCW’s sister WPP ad agency Wunderman Thompson as German social media lead and strategic digital planner, where he developed digital, e-commerce and social media strategies for clients in the automotive, airlines and technology industries.

Warp reports to BCW’s Europe & Africa president, Scott Wilson, who said: “Jan’s appointment to lead DIG in Europe & Africa is a critical hire for BCW both regionally and globally. Our DIG community is one of the powerhouses of our regional business, having grown exponentially in recent years driven by growing client demand for expertise in digital strategy and transformation, data and analytics, and influencer marketing.

“We saw a fabulous shortlist of candidates, but Jan stood out thanks to the depth and breadth of his technical skills but also due to his experience working in digital transition for one of the world’s largest manufacturers.”

Warp added: “I am delighted to have this opportunity to take on the leadership of the amazing, diverse and talented BCW DIG team in Europe & Africa and become part of our global DIG leadership group. Having previously been a client of BCW during my time at BSH, I had no hesitation in taking on this role and am relishing the challenge of building on strong foundations and helping take our DIG community across Europe & Africa to the next level.”