TBWA\RAAD today announced the appointment of Rafael Lavor as its new Head of Strategy. Lavor will be responsible for leading the agency’s planning team and its strategy discipline in the region, across all clients and brands.

This appointment is an extension of the advertising firm’s vision of investing in strategy and planning. In the last three years, TBWA has increased the percentage of strategists in its employee base by 34% globally.

Rafael will play a critical role in shaping disruptive, business-building brand strategy and ensuring unconventional thinking at every step across clients’ customer journeys.

“Today, more than ever, we recognize the growing role of strategy and effective thinking in driving brand growth, solving business problems, and bringing creative ideas into the real world”, said Reda Raad, Group CEO of TBWA\RAAD. “Rafael will help drive the agency’s strategic thinking, working closely with planners and creatives to deliver brand platform ideas and disruptive creativity that drives business,” he added.

Rafael started his career as a strategist and planner in São Paulo, Brazil. He learned and thrived in agencies such as AlmapBBDO, JWT, McCann, and CPB+, having worked for Ford, GM, Volkswagen, Embraer, Nokia, Mastercard, Diageo, Amazon, Deezer, Uber, Stella Artois, and Activision. Under his lead, some of those brands were awarded in Effie Brazil and Effie LATAM.

Commenting on his appointment, Lavor said, “I have always admired TBWA’s disruption practice and its innovative approach to leveraging cultural insights and real-time data to generate positive impact and growth for businesses and brands. I look forward to an exciting and disruptive experience!”