Iris Singapore has named Paolo Agulto as its new Executive Creative Director. Previously a Creative Director at Accenture Song for two years, Agulto will now focus on elevating the agency’s creative capabilities and supporting its recent expansion through both global and local hires.
Agulto will be supported by Global Chief Creative Officer Menno Kluin (ex-Ogilvy, 360i, dentsuMB, and Isobar), and Creative Chairman Eduardo Maruri (formerly president and CEO of Grey LATAM and Europe), who were also announced as recent appointments to Iris.
Agulto brings over 17 years of experience in the creative industry. Prior to Accenture Song, he held the role of Creative Director at The Secret Little Agency, and was Creative Group Head at both BLKJ Havas and DDB Group Singapore. He started his career as a copywriter at Saatchi & Saatchi.
“Paolo is an incredibly sharp, modern creative stepping into this role with hunger and ambition. We needed someone who shared Iris’ ‘participants not passengers’ mentality, not just in the kind of work we create, but also in how we work and the culture we create at Iris”, said Rebecca Nadilo, Managing Director of Iris.
Agulto said, “Participation has always been at the heart of my work. I couldn’t be more excited to join a creative community where participation is not just another buzzword, but the driving force of everything that we do. Now that audiences have a myriad of ways to avoid brands, it’s more important than ever to create work that people want in their lives. And I’m confident that the talent around me can do exactly that”.
Agulto will be tasked with collaborating closely with Shea Warnes, Iris Singapore’s recently appointed Chief Strategy Officer, as “it’s in the strategy x creative partnership where the sharpest creativity happens”, says Nadilo.
“Paolo’s impressive experience means we have a leader calibrated to create value and earn attention. That’s exciting to me, broadening our aperture to more different shaped solutions.” says Warnes. “That’s the type of work that excites me, but more importantly our clients are asking for”.
In addition to Agulto and Warnes bolstering the agency’s leadership, Iris Singapore has also promoted Yingting Low to Head of Content. She will continue leading Iris Inc’s creator and community capabilities, developing creator and platform relationships, driving media planning, and leveraging AI in the agency’s content creation and dissemination process.
Nadilo added, “As community and culture become integral to buying decisions, Iris is focused on ideas that earn attention rather than just paying for it. With Paolo, Shea, and Yingting leading the charge, we are ready to deliver work that both excites clients and resonates with audiences”.