VMLY&R announced the appointment of Walter Geer as executive creative director, experience design, in its rapidly expanding customer experience practice. Geer will be based out of New York and will work closely with Jason Xenopoulos, chief executive officer of New York and co-CCO of North America. He will report to Eric Looney, chief experience design officer, who leads the agency’s experience design practice.
Geer will drive the creation of innovative design solutions within VMLY&R’s connected health practice and help lead the transformation of talent and capability across this high-growth group. With over $100 million in health revenue in 2019, VMLY&R’s health practice is rated among the industry’s top 20 global health agencies. In the long term, Geer will also work to synergize brand and customer experiences across a broader range of clients such as Dell Technologies, Campbell Snacks, Pfizer and New Balance.
“Walt is one of our industry’s most impactful leaders, and we are thrilled that he is joining the agency at a time of momentum for our healthcare practice,” Xenopoulos said. “The creatively minded craft he brings to experience design and innovation will fortify our efforts to build the most robust connected healthcare communications practice in the industry. We’re excited to have his voice and perspective across the business and culture of the VMLY&R network.”
Geer joins VMLY&R from TBWA\WorldHealth, where he held the position of SVP, group creative director, digital experience and innovation. Recently, Savoy Magazine named him to its list of 2020 Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America. He is most known in the advertising space for creating compelling mobile advertising experiences that have reinvented and revitalized the way brands and advertisers connect with consumers through a multitude of digital platforms.
A 20-year veteran of the digital advertising space, Geer holds a total of six U.S. patents for digital ad formats, and has developed ad products and implemented creative strategies for a variety of publishers and leading technology and media companies including Google, Viacom, The New York Times and MySpace. Geer has architected market-first usability labs, applying biometric research to the development of creative executions and minimizing risk by understanding how consumer emotions and demographics impact brand engagement.
“I can’t say enough about the incredible work we’ve been doing at TBWA\WorldHealth, and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity ahead of me with VMLY&R. They are the ‘Brand Experience Agency,’ and what they do and their work couldn’t be more in line with my background and area of expertise. I’m anxious to help them lead the charge in creative innovation and driving real change that the entire world can benefit from,” said Geer.
Prior to TBWA\WorldHealth, Geer was vice president and creative director at Verve, where he ran design and engineering teams responsible for the company’s creative production and innovation. He joined Verve from PointRoll (Gannett), where he was vice president of product strategy.
VMLY&R is a global brand and customer experience agency that harnesses creativity, technology, and culture to create connected brands. The agency is made up of nearly 6,500 employees worldwide with principal offices in Kansas City, New York, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. VMLY&R works with client partners, including Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dell, Ford, New Balance, Pfizer and Wendy’s. For more information, visit www.vmlyr.com. VMLY&R is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP).
