TBWA\South Africa has announced the appointment of Lesego Kotane in a role that will see him leading both the strategic marketing consultancy Yellowwood Future Architects as its new managing director and taking on the position of chief strategy officer for TBWA\South Africa.
TBWA\South Africa says that Kotane is a marketing specialist with two decades' worth of experience at some of South Africa's most notable agencies.
According to the agency, Kotane recently completed a Marketing Week mini-MBA, presented by industry guru Mark Ritson. He holds a BA degree in marketing communications from the University of Johannesburg.
The agency adds that Kotane is no stranger to TBWA\South Africa and that Kotane worked as a strategic planner at Hunt Lascaris during the foundational period of his career. Following that, he spent five years at Lowe Bull Cape Town.
Most recently, he was at King James for the past 10 and a half years, where he ran the Johannesburg group as managing director.
Kotane says that he is delighted to be back in the TBWA\South Africa fold. He says that he took up the role because of the collective's:
- reputation
- creative strength
- global scale, and
- standing in the industry.
"Joining Yellowwood, a brand with a strong legacy and heritage and celebrated for its strategy and brand consulting, is an exciting opportunity. There's no doubt the world of strategy consulting has evolved, and I am excited to infuse an already strong offer with a healthy dose of global thinking, tooling and insight as we help clients work through the challenges of tomorrow, today," Kotane says.
"As chief strategy officer, I will be instrumental in pulling our community together as we craft winning strategies for brands and businesses. At TBWA, disruption is not merely a catchphrase but a way of thinking about brands, categories and a mechanism for driving growth. It is both a philosophy and a methodology, which I believe is more relevant today than ever before," adds Kotane.
TBWA\South Africa's group CEO Luca Gallarelli says that Kotane is an exceptional talent.
"Kotane is a rare breed; he brings an immense depth of experience not only in the world of strategy but also in general management and consulting. The opportunity to leverage this intersection of theory and practice and apply it to helping us and our clients solve complex problems is compelling," adds Gallarelli.
Gallarelli says the TBWA Group's job is to provide simple answers to complex problems by leveraging powerful intellect, depth of experience, emergent technologies and global scale in service of identifying opportunities for clients' growth.
"Kotane is just the person to drive this for us. He is a true team player, and I am delighted to welcome him home," concludes Gallarelli.
For more information, visit www.tbwa.com. You can also follow TBWA\South Africa on LinkedIn or on Instagram.
*Image courtesy of LinkedIn