Iris Worldwide has lured Alex Abrantes from FCB New York to take up the role of chief creative officer, North America. At FCB, Abrantes was executive creative director and led award-winning work for Michelob ULTRA, Spotify and Hyundai.
Abrantes creative experience was developed at Publicis Brasil and New York and Africa Creative and he ranked #1 executive creative director in the world in both The Drum’s Global Creative Rankings (2024) and The One Club’s Global Creative Rankings (2023 and 2024).
Abrantes was crucial in fuelling organic growth in FCB NY’s AB-InBev business. His leadership on Cannes Lions 2023 Entertainment for Sports GP winner, DREAMCASTER, coupled Michelob ULTRA’s McEnroe vs McEnroe, led AB-InBev to its first-ever Innovation Lion in the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity and more importantly, to expand its business further. His leadership also helped push the work that became the first ever Gold Lion in B2B, Spotify’s A Song for Every CMO.
His work has won two Emmy Awards and more than 30 Cannes Lions over the past five years – and he played a key role in FCB being named North America Network of the Year at Cannes for seven consecutive years. Most recently, he returned to the Cannes Lions stage in 2025 to collect two Gold Lions.
Abrantes will be based in New York, report to Jill Smith, CEO of Iris Americas, and will lead the creative output across the agency’s integrated teams in New York, Boston, Atlanta, and Toronto. He will work closely with global chief creative officer, Menno Kluin, and Brian Gartside, Iris’s new global design lead, and the wider leadership team. He will also take the lead on key accounts including CPK, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Gallo Brands, Bentley, and IKEA and oversee creative talent across the US and Canada.
His appointment follows a wave of senior leadership moves across Iris – including Smith’s promotion to CEO of the Americas, Elizabeth Hall’s elevation to group managing director, and the arrival of Eduardo Maruri as global creative chair – as the agency continues to expand its creative capabilities and deepen its presence across North America. It also follows Iris’s new global rebrand, centred on the rallying cry, Participate or Perish, and a renewed focus on helping brands stand apart in culture through original ideas, creative courage, and strategic integration. Iris’s Americas business continues to grow, with key clients including Samsung, Beiersdorf, IKEA and California Pizza Kitchen.
Jill Smith commented, “Alex is a world-class creative talent and a true cultural operator. He brings the energy, ambition and craft needed to push boundaries and build work that earns attention. But more than that, he shares our belief in original ideas and creative courage – the kind of work that refuses to be templated or commodified. As we continue to grow our footprint across North America, his leadership will be instrumental in helping our clients not just show up in culture, but shape it. That’s what Participation looks like – and that’s what Iris stands for.”
Menno Kluin, added, “We’re building a new kind of creative network at Iris – one that’s nimble, ambitious and unafraid to challenge convention. Alex shares that vision. He’s not just a brilliant creative, he’s a cultural thinker and a collaborator, and he knows how to turn bold ideas into work that earns its place in the world. As we continue to evolve our ‘Participation or Perish’ proposition, his arrival signals our commitment to creativity that doesn’t play it safe – creativity that moves people, brands and culture forward.”
Alex Abrantes concluded, “Iris has all the right ingredients to become one of the most creatively respected agencies in our industry: talent, ambition and vision. I’m deeply appreciative of the investment being made in creativity, because when it’s done right, creativity doesn’t just build brands, it drives business. I’m incredibly excited to join the team and help build the kind of agency we’ve always dreamed of working for.”
Cover image: Alex Abrantes & Jill Smith
