Virtue appoints Suresh Raj as global chief growth officer

Virtue, the creative agency born from Vice, announced the appointment of Suresh Raj as global chief growth officer

In this role, Raj will oversee global new business for Virtue, guiding the agency into its next phase of growth, as it reshapes and rethinks the new agency model.

Raj stated, “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining Virtue at this specific moment. The team has already laid such a strong foundation and has such an incredibly unique offering and diverse team. I look forward to introducing brands to this next iteration of Virtue - as a creative partner helping brands to navigate emerging culture, while leveraging the extensive Vice Media Group network of creators, producers and thinkers.”

Raj joins from Vision7 / BlueFocus International where he has served as chief business development officer, building a growth culture and driving growth strategies for the network, bringing in opportunities including Amazon, Samsung, Nike, Coca-Cola, Tencent Gaming, and Alibaba. Prior to Vision7 / BlueFocus International, Raj held senior growth roles at Zeno Group, Ogilvy and MHP Communications.

Based in New York, Raj will work closely with Krystle Watler, managing director, Virtue Americas; having a special focus on Virtue’s North America business, which has always served as the agency’s global headquarters and largest driver of growth.

Watler said, “Suresh is a really exciting addition to our Virtue family. Not only does he bring incredible growth experience that will help take our business to the next level, but he shares with me and the rest of our team, an incredible passion for diversity, inclusion and equality, both within the industry and outside.”

Raj’s DEI dedication has garnered him outstanding recognition, including being both Financial Times’ and Yahoo! Finance’s Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executive Leaders as well as the Top 100 LGBTQ+ Executive Leaders for the last five consecutive years. Raj is also a founding member of The Collective, which includes senior LGBTQ+ leaders from across private sector, government/politics and NGOs; as well as a global mentor for INvolve, the diversity and inclusion specialists; and an inaugural member of McKinsey’s The Alliance, a global network of senior LGBTQ+ leaders.

This announcement comes at an exciting time for Virtue as Chris Garbutt and Colin Mitchell, recently joined Vice Media Group (VMG) as co-presidents of Virtue as well as chief creative officer, VMG and chief innovation officer, VMG. Together they are leading the global agency as a navigator of culture with an expansive community of makers, creators and collaborators.

Mitchell added, "Today, the growth function in agencies is about understanding what clients are trying to achieve and matching them to the right services and solutions. Suresh is a proven leader in this space. He knows where the industry is going and so can accelerate Virtue's development."

Raj will report in to Colin Mitchell, co-president, Virtue and chief innovation officer for VMG.