Former Dentsu Aegis Network CEO joins to support continued growth and global expansion
Global digital agency Dept today announced that Jerry Buhlmann has joined the company as Non-Executive Chairman. Buhlmann brings over 40 years of experience in the media, marketing and advertising sectors to Dept, and will work closely with Dept’s Global CEO, Dimi Albers, and the rest of the Board and executive team to support the company’s continued growth and global expansion.
“The rapid growth of the digital economy and the associated transformation will drive disruption to the brand and consumer value chain for the foreseeable future,” said Buhlmann. “Dept is a high growth, digitally native agency with an integrated technology and marketing capability that is strongly placed as a leading disruptor in the agency sector, delivering pioneering work for brands with an expanding global footprint.”
Jerry was appointed CEO of Aegis Group PLC in 2010, and following the merger with Dentsu Inc, became CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network in 2013. He remained in the role until 2018, during which time revenues doubled, including over 60% of revenues coming from digital activities. Jerry currently serves as Chairman of Croud Ltd, a private equity-funded digital agency, and Chairman of Hybrid, a digital higher education marketing specialist. In addition, he is a Senior Independent Director at Inchcape PLC and also Director of Tulchan Ltd, Serviceplan Group and a Senior Advisor to OC&C. He is also an Angel Investor and Advisor to a number of businesses within the digital marketing and e-commerce segments.
“Jerry is a globally respected leader who deeply understands how important digital experiences are for brands today,” said Albers. “As we continue our rapid, global growth his perspectives and experience will be hugely valuable, especially as we seek to maintain the agility, flexibility and personal relationships of a boutique agency. And on a personal note, I am very excited about working closely with Jerry and learning from one of the best industry leaders from the last decades, who also happens to be a really nice, down-to-earth person.”
Founded in Amsterdam in 2015, Dept is pioneering technology and marketing to help brands stay ahead. The digital-native agency has quickly grown across the globe, from 150 people in The Netherlands to more than 2,500 people in 30 offices across five continents, working with brands including Google, Meta, Diageo, Samsung, eBay, Amazon, Patagonia, ASOS, Philips, KFC, and more. Over the last twelve months, six new agencies have joined Dept, including data science and software engineering agency Raybeam, digital marketing agency Feed, and most recently creative studio Hello Monday. Dept also recently announced its first operations in Asia Pacific, headed by former Havas Group CEO Vishnu Mohan.