Wieden+Kennedy Portland re-appoints Azsa West as the Head of Creative Direction
Azsa West, a renowned artist, filmmaker, and creative mind, is set to rejoin Wieden+Kennedy as the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) for its Portland headquarters. West initially joined the creative agency in 2006 and, after a temporary departure, will return in Spring 2023.
Most recently, she served as the Executive Creative Director at Anomaly Berlin. West will replace Portland's current creative leaders Ana and Hermeti Balarin, who are moving to Wieden+Kennedy's London office in early 2023.
In a statement, Wieden+Kennedy expressed its search for a specific candidate for the role – someone deeply rooted in Portland, proud and committed to the city, and dedicated to the work, with a focus on ideation over anything else.
The leadership role in Portland was previously held by Jason Bagley as CCO, although there is no record of his current whereabouts in early 2023. Other notable leaders, such as Caleb Jensen and Blair Warren, served as Global Executive Creative Directors, but there is no information about their recent moves. Cha Spruce, who co-founded the social-first studio Bodega at W+K, left the company in October 2024 for Ogilvy. However, this move is not associated with early 2023.
As West prepares to rejoin Wieden+Kennedy, she is expected to bring her unique perspective and creative prowess to the Portland headquarters, aiming to continue the agency's legacy of groundbreaking advertising and innovative storytelling.
Azsa West's return to Wieden+Kennedy as CCO in Spring 2023 signifies a shift in the Portland office's leadership, and her focus on ideation indicates a potential resurgence in the agency's creative business practices, merging technology with the art of storytelling.
