It has been more than five months since Grey London lost joint chief creative officer, Caroline Pay, to become chief creative officer of Headspace in Los Angeles, more than four months since chief executive officer, Leo Rayman left to head up Grey’s global consulting arm, Grey Consulting, and more than two years since it lost its top tier in one go – creative chairman, Nils Leonard; chief executive officer, Lucy Jameson; and managing director, Natalie Graeme, who left to launch Uncommon London Creative Studio.

But Grey London will begin 2019 with a new creative chairman to stoke its fires again. The agency has poached AMV BBDO executive creative director, Adrian Rossi, to fill the role. He will oversee all creative development, help set and implement the creative vision, spearhead the recruitment of top talent and guide new-business creative efforts, working closely with Eduardo Maruri, president and chief executive officer of Grey Europe. He will report to John Patroulis, worldwide chief creative officer of Grey, and be supported by chief creative officer, Vicki Maguire.

Rossi began his career as an art director at Saatchi&Saatchi in 1994, became a creative director at BBH in 1996 and stayed for twelve years before moving to digital agency, Glue Isobar, in 2010. He has spent the last seven years at AMV BBDO, as creative partner followed by executive creative director. Rossi’s move to Grey will be the first time he has worked without his partner, Alex Grieve since they joined BBH together, 22 years ago.

Adrian Rossi

“Adrian is making some of the most awarded and inspiring work in the world right now, and he pairs an impressive creative pedigree with a humanity that shines in both the work he makes and in the way he leads,” Patroulis stated.

“I think he’ll be an amazing leader for Grey London, working with a great team already in place to help push where we’re headed as an agency, and as an industry. We’re lucky to have him.”

At a recent investors update, WPP chief executive officer, Mark Read, also quashed the rumour that a merger between Grey and AKQA was planned. Grey London is still looking for a chief executive officer.