Huge Announces New Leadership, Global Expansion

October 13, 2010 - Brooklyn

Building upon its recent success, HUGE, the digital design, strategy and technology company, announced leadership changes to support its mission to become the premier global digital agency.

The announced changes are the latest steps in an evolution that has seen HUGE grow to a 300-employee full-service digital agency and a core strategic asset of parent company the Interpublic Group.

Intense demand for HUGE’s services around the world have led to a global expansion plan that will see new offices in Europe, Latin America, Asia and other markets over the next 12 months. Parent company Interpublic Group is providing a substantial financial investment to support HUGE’s growth.

Today’s news includes:

• Aaron Shapiro, the HUGE partner responsible for the company’s growth, business operations, and strategic leadership with clients, adds the title of Chief Executive Officer.

• Gene Liebel, the HUGE partner who led the creation of HUGE’s design capabilities and process, will become Partner, Chief Strategy Officer. He will oversee the company’s product design and analytics practices.

• David Skokna, Partner, Executive Creative Director and Sasha Kirovski, Partner, Technology, will leave the company after having helped lead HUGE since its inception in 1999.

• Joe Stewart, currently Executive Creative Director and lead creative for HUGE’s work with Pepsi, Reuters, Target, JetBlue and several other landmark initiatives, has been named Partner, Executive Creative Director. He will continue to oversee the company’s creative department.

Several other key long-time executives have been promoted:

• Shirley Au, currently General Manager, has been named Managing Partner.

• Michal Pasternak, who currently leads HUGE’s User Experience group, has been named Partner, User Experience.

• Patricia Korth-McDonnell, Director of Strategy, has been appointed Partner, Client Services.

• Felipe Memoria, Design Director, has been named Partner, Product Design.

• Au, Stewart, Pasternak and Korth-McDonnell have all been part of HUGE’s core management team for the last five years, and four of the agency’s earliest employees.

“As we looked to scale the offering at HUGE, we wanted a natural evolution to position the firm for its next stage of development,” said CEO Shapiro. “Establishing a new group of Partners from current leadership allows us to maintain our existing DNA, which has been such a key part of our success, while encouraging stability and consistency across our firm."

“We are indebted to the former partners who are leaving the firm,” Shapiro continued. “They helped lead HUGE during its crucial early phases and collaborated to create the hands-on culture of creativity, accountability and innovation that are hallmarks of the work we produce for our clients to this day.”

David Skokna, Partner, Executive Creative Director, leaves the agency after eleven years of being a key part of the leadership team. “It’s been an amazing experience. We set out to build digitally-driven businesses for the world’s best brands. We accomplished that and much more,” Skokna said. “We also managed to grow while maintaining the toughest hiring standards in the industry. There’s never been a ‘B’ team at HUGE. As a result, the agency will be in very talented hands. It just feels like the right time to step aside and figure out my next act,” Skokna concluded.

HUGE was one of Advertising Age’s ten hot agencies to watch in 2010, and was the fastest-growing company among the largest 200 firms across all marketing disciplines in 2009.

"The talent of my new partners has been one of the biggest drivers of HUGE’s success,” said Gene Liebel, Chief Strategy Officer. “We've all been collaborating closely for five years. It's rare to keep a team like this together for so long and it puts the company in an amazing position."