Michelle Roufa promoted to ECD at McGarryBowen New York

Of her appointment, Roufa said: "It was exciting to have the opportunity to lead creative on Verizon. It’s rare you get the chance to work on a brand and campaign that can genuinely impact society and the future for the better.”

Ned Crowley, US chief creative officer at McGarryBowen, added: “Michelle is a great creative talent who can go toe-to-toe with the best. It’s great to see her soaring as a talent as well as a leader. Not always easy in this business. Her inspiring work for Verizon is a perfect example of how she tries to find the human truth, or simply, the humanity, in everything she touches.”

Roufa got her start in advertising when she was hired by Cliff Freeman without a portfolio. On her second day of the job, she sold a radio campaign. Since then, she has worked with agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, Y&R, Hill Holliday, M&C Saatchi, FCB, and Digitas, and has created work for iconic brands like Little Caesars Pizza, Cherry Coke, Fanta, Ikea, and Dove. Her work has won plenty of awards, including Cannes Lions, One Show Pencils and Effies.

Some notable campaigns she created were ‘The British just know how to travel’ for British Airways while at M&C Saatchi, and the ‘Make more happen’ campaign for Staples while with McGarryBowen in her first stint. Roufa is also the author of The Norma Gene, a science fiction novel which was released by Bitingduck Press in 2015.