MANILA –TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno welcomed TBWA Worldwide President & CEO Troy Ruhanen to Manila, his first visit to the country since taking on the role in 2014.
“It’s not every day that we have the chance to host our global chief, and we’re honored for the opportunity to catch up and share insights on our work,” said TBWA\SMP Chief Creative Officer Melvin Mangada.
A multi-award-winning American Advertising Federation (AAF) Hall of Achievement inductee, Ruhanen has spent the last two decades working on some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including Procter & Gamble, Apple, and AT&T.
Formerly the managing director of Leo Burnett Australia, Mr. Ruhanen led that agency to four Agency of the Year wins before joining BBDO New York, where he handled their billion-dollar AT&T business before rising to become Chairman and CEO in charge of the Americas.
Foremost on Ruhanen’s agenda was a visit to TBWA’s Philippine office, where he met the agency’s managing partners, including Mangada, President Jaime ‘Jimmy’ Santiago, Managing Director Portia Catuira, and TBWA\Digital Arts Network CEO Eduardo Mapa Jr.
Following the meeting, Ruhanen took part in a brief tour of the premises before addressing the agency in a spirited town hall session that saw him praise them for their recent award-winning work and stressed the importance of disrupting convention to maintain a competitive edge.
“The way to be the best is to have the best product, because that’s what the client is looking for, and the best work is always going to be proactive work. The more we can use creativity to drive our work, the better the work will be.”
Ruhanen made sure to remind the gathered creatives to always retain an element of fun in their work, because “Ideas can come from anywhere. If we encourage a culture where ideas can grow, we can go anywhere in the world.”
