RKCR/Y&R appoints Priya Patel as Managing Director

Oct. 13, 2016

RKCR/Y&R has strengthened its management team further by appointing Priya Patel as Managing Director.

Priya Patel, who was previously Managing Partner at RKCR/Y&R, will continue to run a portfolio of client business, oversee the agency operations and will report to Jon Sharpe who took over as CEO in December 2015.

Vicky Jacobs MD since 2014 is taking time out of the agency for health reasons. 

Patel has been at RKCR/Y&R for 10 years and during her time at the agency has led and helped create award-winning campaigns for some of the agency’s biggest and most famous accounts including Virgin Money, Volvic, BBC, Bank of Scotland, TUI and M&S.

Patel was integral to the team that launched Virgin Media and was responsible for the campaign ‘Fantastic Journey’ the most awarded film in the world in 2010.  She also ran the M&S account between 2012-2016 helping to launch the multi award-winning M&S Food campaign ‘Adventures in…’ and the highly acclaimed ‘Leading Ladies’ campaign.

Previously, Patel was New Business Director when RKCR/Y&R was topping the New Business league tables between 2010-2012.

Priya Patel said: “I’ve worked at RKCR/Y&R for 10 years and have loved every minute of it. Having just ’survived' the most life changing and brilliant of experiences – having a baby; I’m now relishing the idea of fully engaging my brain on a completely different, but equally brilliant new challenge. 

Agencies change all the time; the key is how they adapt to the change. I believe that the latest change at RKCR/Y&R - the establishment of our new 'leadership triumvirate’ Jon, Jon and Emily and their vision for how we should work with clients to create Cultural Capital – is an incredibly positive one and I’m looking forward to implementing that vision.”

Jon Sharpe, CEO, added: “I am delighted that Priya has agreed to take on the role of Managing Director. She is utterly fearless and exceedingly intelligent. She is a great force of energy in the agency and is much liked and admired by both colleagues and clients.