• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, August 10, 2015

South Korea-based Cheil Worldwide has apointed Brad Brinegar to the new position of CEO of Cheil in North America, effective immediately.

In his new role, Brinegar will lead the Cheil network’s NA holdings—including The Barbarian Group, iris Worldwide and McKinney—and devise the group’s strategy going forward.

Brinegar will also continue to serve as chairman and CEO of McKinney, positions he held since 2002. Cheil acquired the Durham, NC-based McKinney in 2012. The agencies clients include Samsung, Nationwide Insurance, Sherwin-Williams.

“Cheil has assembled a unique network of modern agencies in the U.S. market,” says Brinegar.  “My new job is to help the leaders of all three agencies to efficiently partner and build out our offering in the U.S.”

The promotion follows a series of strategic shifts and executive hires this year, including moving Cheil’s global business development efforts to London and the U.S. with the addition of Lotta Malm-Hallqvist and global Chief Growth Officer and Malcolm Poynton as global Chief Creative Officer. Also Aaron Lau, CEO of Cheil Greater China, took on the additional role of President International.

Prior to McKinney, Brinegar was CEO of Leo Burnett USA. Brinegar is on the 4A’s board of directors and was the founding chairman of the IAB Agency Advisory Board.