Proximity drafts in ex-Saatchi chief to head up planning

Adam_RonnieProximity London is beefing up its senior team with the appointment of former Saatchi & Saatchi chief Ronnie Crosbie to lead the 21-strong planning department. 
Crosbie (pictured, left) will report to chief strategy officer Adam Fulford (right), who joined the agency from Mindshare in November, and take up the role of head of strategic planning.
Having started his career in the late Nineties as a graduate trainee at JWT, Crosbie then switched to Leo Burnett before moving to New Zealand in 2002, where he worked for GeneratorBates and FCB. On his return in 2007, Cosbie went freelance and then joined Saatchi & Saatchi in 2013 as group planning director.
During his five years at the agency he led the strategy on award-winning campaigns including Pampers Pooface and Rekorderlig Silver Skaters. Crosbie joins Proximity from Dentsu Aegis Network agency 360i, where he was head of strategic planning, data and insights.
In his new role, Crosbie will lead the agency’s planning team and work across Proximity’s client base, which includes Virgin, Specsavers, Ikea and The Economist.
Fulford said: “Ronnie makes the complex simple, understanding that the best customer experiences sit at the nexus of creative ideas and data. His wealth and breadth of expertise make him the perfect planning leader.”
Crosbie added: “Broad experience and unruly thinking are what I hope to bring to my new role. The agency’s foundations lie in data-driven personalised experiences and it’s on this grounding that it’s built a reputation for creative excellence and effectiveness. Having previously focused on brand, social, digital and media, I wanted to turn my attention to the customer experience as the proof of the promise.”

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