by Anna Gamboa
MANILA – Dave Ferrer and Golda Roldan are back together, this time working their magic at J. Walter Thompson Manila with Golda helming the agency and Dave in charge of creatives.
The youngest creative to be inducted into the Philippine Creative Guild Hall of Fame, Ferrer has been in the industry for more than 18 years and will mark his tenth year at J. Walter Thompson this June, having started his career as an art director at Ace Saatchi & Saatchi Manila, then working with blue chip clients as BBDO Guerrero’s Creative Director. In 2005, he moved to J. Walter Thompson Manila as Executive Creative Director.
Roldan was given the reins of the agency after J. Walter Thompson Manila’s former GM Melissa Crucillo stepped down this year to pursue other interests. The former has worked on various multinational and local accounts as an industry veteran with two decades under her belt—managing accounts for J. Walter Thompson Manila, BBDO Guerrero, TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno and Leo Burnett Group Manila—before the latter brought her home to J. Walter Thompson Manila to be groomed as a possible successor. As the new GM, Roldan will report to J. Walter Thompson Southeast Asia CEO Bob Hekkelman—and work closely once more with Ferrer. The duo will be collaborating with Head of Planning Pam Garcia, and Finance Director Jeff Sulit, on growing, diversifying and strengthening the agency’s reputation in Manila.
The duo plans on recharging and rekindling existing and old client relationships, while training up their young team to build or create better products. Describing their working relationship as mostly harmonious, Roldan explains: “I don’t second-guess Dave. I just know how he thinks. I like that. [W]e don’t have to agree all the time but most – more often than not, we agree.”
Ferrer is all praises for his colleague: “[W]hen Golda came back, I think there was a renewed energy. I mean, wherever she goes, she’s just a ball of energy. She infused a new energy to the agency… Wherever she goes she’s loved by the guys – the whole agency. Just that positive vibe, that positive energy. I think that’s one thing about J. Walter Thompson, its culture. Unlike some agencies, which operate under fear, I think we’re a little bit different, we wanna be more encouraging. So she’ll be a strong, energetic leader by her example. She leads by her example and I hope lang that people can get around her.”
They’ve come a long way from their first working day together, chasing MRT trains to shoot a spot –but it still seems like there’s still plenty for J. Walter Thompson Manila’s new dynamic duo to conquer.
