LONDON — Weber Shandwick London has hired Steve Back as executive creative director with responsibility for leading the agency’s creative capabilities in the UK.

Back joins the agency from BBC Creative, where he was creative director. He had previously served as chief creative officer for Ogilvy Australia, Singapore and Global; executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia, and creative director at DDB. His creative work includes Toyota Border Security ‘Nothing Soft Gets In,' the car manufacturer’s most-awarded campaign ever.

Back’s remit is to bring together the agency’s conceptual, production and creative technology capabilities, partnering with creative leads across EMEA including James Nester, executive creative director, EMEA & Germany, who formerly oversaw creative in the UK.

Nester joined Weber Shandwick as UK & EMEA executive creative director in July 2015 from We Are Social, and moved into his Cologne-based new role last August.

Weber Shandwick London MD Helen Bennett said: “We are hugely excited about Steve joining the team – his passion for great work that drives conversation and engagement was evident from our very first meeting with him. As client needs continue to change, we believe demand for powerful, earned creative ideas will only increase. In Steve, we know we’ve found someone with the proven talent, experience and instincts to help us meet that demand.”

Back added: “I believe strongly that the best ideas come from a simple truth or insight. I’m excited to be joining one of the world’s leading communications agencies at a time when we are seeing such extraordinary shifts in brands and business behaviour. Weber Shandwick London has an impressive range of talents, specialists and capabilities – I’m looking forward to partnering with that talent to help deliver work that sets a new standard for earned creative.”