TBWA Shanghai promotes Richard Cotton

Reporting to TBWA Greater China president Ian Thubron, Cotton’s additional responsibilities will include recruitment and training of talent, as well as taking care of the Adidas account, the agency's longtime key client.

Client service director is a role that extends from account servicing to the account management function of the agency. 

"The role of the account man in today’s fragmented media landscape is more important than ever," said Cotton (pictured). "Being asked to orchestrate the implementation of big ideas across different channels and disciplines is not only a huge honour, but a massive opportunity.”

Cotton will now be in charge of defining the behaviours and accountabilities expected of his fellow 'account men', whose numbers have doubled from 10 to 20 people under his new management capacity. 

Cotton joined TBWA London in 1999 after graduating from the University of Manchester with a degree in politics and modern history. During his decade there, he worked on assignments for Mars, Häagen-Dazs, Virgin, and Amnesty International.

In 2007, Cotton transferred from London to Shanghai as TBWA's group account director. He was subsequently promoted to business director in 2010, where he grew Pernod Ricard into the agency’s largest account in Shanghai. 

Endorsing this promotion, Thubron said, “Richard has TBWA blood running in his veins. He’s proven himself a true builder of teams; he has business nous and a good, creative eye; he will ensure that we are best in class".