McCann's Executive Creative Director Unveils New Creative Agency to Boost Skilled Talent Pool Overseas
Informal, Revised Article:
Hey there! The McCann Worldgroup's ECD, Ioana Filip, is packing her bags and stepping into the entrepreneurial world. She's launching a fresh creative agency dubbed International Waters, and I've got the scoop for you.
With a career spanning nearly two decades across global advertising giants like McCann, MRM, and Energy BBDO, Ioana's been an ECD in places as diverse as Chicago, London, and now her beloved hometown, Bucharest.
When asked about her decision, Ioana said, "I've had some killer opportunities for growth within the networks, but I always knew I'd take the plunge into entrepreneurship at some point. This felt like the perfect moment – not because of any particular event, but because it was about damn time for me."
International Waters aims at mid-sized clients with annual revenues between $20 million and $1 billion. Don't worry, she's keeping her lips sealed about current client relationships, but we'll probably hear more down the line. The agency has set up shop in Bucharest, with U.S. operations in Chicago, and has plans to go global through European expansion by 2027 and a foray into the Middle East by the same year.
Ioana's got a team of five dedicated leaders, but she's keeping their names under wraps for now. They'll be splitting their time between these hubs.
Breaking Barriers, Challenging Stereotypes
Growing up as a Romanian woman, Ioana faced her fair share of age and nationality discrimination. To combat these stereotypes, she's focusing on traditional offshore creative markets like Romania, Brazil, and India. She aims to challenge the outdated geographical biases that often hamper creativity for global brands.
Think about it – countries like Brazil (which had 78 wins at Cannes Lions in 2024) are brimming with talented creatives who are overlooked simply because they haven't relocated. Ioana wants to change that, connecting global businesses to global talent and vice versa.
To support her vision, International Waters will operate on a novel "chartered creativity" model. This means they'll handpick talented creatives worldwide based on the specific needs of each project while maintaining a core team for quality control and consistency.
In essence, International Waters is a global, decentralized, and inclusive creative agency that fights bias against offshore markets, offers tailored solutions to mid-sized clients, and values strategic geographical growth – all while sporting a unique project-based talent assembly system. Stay tuned for more updates!
- Ioana Filip, with her extensive experience in the advertising industry, is venturing into entrepreneurship by launching a new creative agency called International Waters.
- The Agency, International Waters, is initially targeting mid-sized clients with annual revenues between $20 million and $1 billion, and has plans for global expansion by 2027, with operations in Bucharest, Chicago, and potential further expansion into the Middle East.
- Ioana's decision to start her own agency was driven by her desire for growth and her long-held ambition to delve into entrepreneurship, despite opportunities for growth within the networks she previously worked for.
- To challenge outdated geographical biases that often hamper creativity for global brands, Ioana is focusing on traditional offshore creative markets like Romania, Brazil, and India, aiming to connect global businesses to global talent and vice versa.
