Maja Pawinska Sims 21 Oct 2024 // 9:45AM GMT
LONDON — Perena Barrett and Danny Whatmough have been appointed Red Consultancy’s co- managing directors, as the 30-year-old Accordience-owned agency resets its leadership team and moves to new offices in London.
Barrett has been with the agency for 20 years this December and has led its Life consumer unit for the past three years. Whatmough joined in 2019 from Weber Shandwick, to lead Red Consultancy’s Play consumer technology unit as well as Shiny, its social and digital team.
Red’s previous managing director, Isobel Coney – who was the agency’s first MD when she was appointed in 2021 – has left the agency to join Axicom as its European president.
CEO Mike Morgan, who has led the agency since 1996 and remains in post, said: “Perena and Danny work brilliantly together, driving smart, strategic creative campaigning for our clients, developing and leading our people and navigating what is a complex and fast-changing commercial and media landscape.”
Barrett said Red had “an incredible legacy” and that she and Whatmough saw their new roles being as much about brand guardianship as innovation and progress: “As we step into our 30th year, with new digs, new energy and brimming with incredible talent and world-class clients, Danny and I will also make sure we keep true to that special sauce that’s made Red the leader it’s been for so many years”.
Whatmough added: “Perena and I have the perfect mix of complementary skills and shared vision; two heads are definitely better than one. With this reset, an office move and an agency milestone hit, it feels like we're perfectly poised to usher in a new chapter for Red.”
Other leadership changes at Red see Natalie Boele Van Hensbroek – with 18 years at the agency – promoted to consumer managing director, while Barbara Watson, who joined the agency three years ago, assumes a managing director role with day-to-day responsibility for the McDonald’s account. These changes follow this summer’s appointment of Ben Lovett from Teneo as corporate and technology managing director.
Recent client wins for the agency include electronics retailer Currys.