• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, April 4, 2016

MRM//McCann has announced Jeff Cruz has joined the Detroit team as EVP, chief creative officer. Cruz joins the agency from VSA Partners, where he served as executive creative director and associate partner. 

Of the hire, McCann Worldgroup Global Creative Chairman Rob Reilly said, "Great work. Great person. Great hire. Jeff is going to be a critical addition to the team as we continue to build a deep and varied creative center in Detroit for McCann Worldgroup." 

Cruz, who has spent 20 years in advertising, is an award-winning creative. At VSA Partners, he played a key role in the agency's expansion, including opening a new Detroit office and winning a Gold Effie in 2015 for his team's sustained success on Harley-Davidson.  

Before joining VSA, he served as senior vice president, group creative director at Leo Burnett Detroit, where he earned a Grand Effie for the agency's pro bono efforts for Detroit Public Schools. He also played an important role in the renaissance of Cadillac and led the creative efforts on several other brands, including Pontiac, Goodwrench, Whirlpool and GMC.  

McCann Detroit President Tamy Harms added, "Not only is Jeff a brilliant leader and a creative genius, he's also a key member of the Detroit community and continues to support the city and its endeavors. He is skilled at shaping customer experiences that captivate people and will no doubt build our brands and our business. We're thrilled to have him join our team and look forward to seeing all we can achieve under his direction."