NEW YORK — Finn Partners has expanded its senior leadership by three, adding an executive creative director, global digital health lead and Washington health group head to its team.

Pepe Aguilar has joined the agency as its first executive creative director, as which he is charged with elevating Finn’s creative capabilities, spearheading major integrated accounts and leading new business efforts. New York-based Aguilar will report to managing partner Matt Bostrom.

Aguilar most recently served as Grey Wing New York’s chief creative officer. Before that, he worked for Grey in Latin American, serving as VP of creative at Grey Mexico and leading Grey Peru and Maruri Grey Ecuador.

Health technology expert Ritesh Patel has been named Finn’s first global digital health lead. Most recently Ogilvy Consulting’s chief digital officer, Patel will collaborate with Finn practices on health and wellness-related work, as well as with clients. Patel reports to Noah Finn, founding managing partner in charge of global integrated marketing,

Before Ogilvy, Patel was global digital and social lead at PR agency Chandler Chicco and then became global head of digital and innovation at its parent company InVentiv Health.

Richard Hatzfeld has also joined Finn as the firm’s Washington health group leader, as which he will work with global health chair Gil Bashe and global health practice leader Kristie Kuhl among others.

He also joins from Ogilvy, where he supervised multinational vaccine communications as a global health senior VP. Before Ogilvy, Hatzfeld led communications for the Sabin Vaccine Institute, overseeing communications for its vaccine development and advocacy efforts, as well as for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases and Sabin’s END7 Campaign.

“Exceptional talent drives creativity that can change minds and guide actions,” said founding partner Peter Finn. “But it’s vital to remember that nurturing amazing people and providing clarity of purpose attracts and retains amazing talent. Finn has become a magnet for people seeking to make a difference in the world and build client brands.”

Expanding its leadership team is the latest in a spate of moves by Finn in recent years to significantly expand the size and global reach of the firm.

In July, the agency switched up its healthcare leadership, elevating Kuhl to global practice leader, and acquired Agency Ten22, which specializes in health information technology. Finn Partners also bought healthcare specialists Lazar Partners in the US and Medical & Health Consulting in Paris in 2019.

In April, Finn purchased digital marketing agency MintTwist. The move marked Finn’s fifth acquisition in London in the past four years, coming on the heels of financial services firm Moorgate Communications and consumer and lifestyle agency ZPR in 2019; travel and lifestyle consultancy Brighter Group in 2018; and B2B specialist ABI in 2017.


In 2019, Finn also acquired Hong Kong travel specialist CatchOn and 45-person Boston-based Small Army.

In May, Finn bought back Stagwell Group’s minority stake in the firm, putting an end to the companies’ four-plus year financial partnership that enabled Finn Partners to grow by 2020 into a $110 million operation with 750 people across 20 offices.