Cruz joins the agency from Wieden + Kennedy's London office where he was creative director working on Nokia Mobile Computing and Nestea. He has relocated to Kuala Lumpur to take on the new role.
Prior to this, he spent over eight years in Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo pursuing work that was culturally relevant to his Asian roots, and collaborating with brands including Nike, Google, Honda, Aiwa, Kumon and Mori Building.
He co-founded Wieden + Kennedy's Tokyo Lab, the network's experimental music label and creative think tank. As part of his role there, he oversaw the unit's entire visual output from directing music videos to art directing and designing its packaging, online experiences and live events.
His other stints in the industry include working at Imaginary Forces Los Angeles, Razorfish London, Wieden + Kennedy Portland, and Studio Archetype.
"Cruz has a strong track record of delivering strong globally-relevant work that is deep set in Asian culture. No longer just story-telling, but expanding on stories, not just digital, but experiential engagement, Eric’s skill set will be a great complement to the existing talents in our agency,” remarked Tan Kien Eng, CEO of Leo Burnett Group Malaysia & Singapore.