Jean Freeman, majority owner and Chief Operating Officer
of Los Angeles independent ad agency Zambezi has been named CEO.
Freeman succeeds agency founder Chris Raih, who will become president of the agency and continue to lead new
business efforts as well as focus on client relationships and work with the agency’s creative and strategy teams.
“This shift is really about setting up Zambezi for our next
evolution,” stated Raih. “Jean is ready. She is a rare combination of doer, thinker and leader. Her role as COO, and the operational running of the business was created by design. Jean has
been the key decision maker in everything we have done. She will be an exceptional CEO.”
A veteran of both Fallon and M&C Saatchi, Freeman joined Zambezi eight years and led
its reset in 2015 from a sports marketing specialist to a full service creative agency. Since then the agency has landed a number of new accounts including AutoTrader, Kelley Blue Book, Coca-Cola and
The Las Vegas Sands Corp.
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Freeman is credited with spearheading the launch last year of the agency’s production unit Blink Studios and coordinating the shop’s relocation
to larger facilities in Culver City.
Freeman also revamped Zambezi’s employee benefit package, instituting “baby-bonuses” for new and existing parents, 100%
paid 3-month parental leave, dependent-care accounts, education grants, IRA matchbacks, green-commuting cash incentives and unlimited paid time-off. Zambezi recently joined the Parental
Pledge Leave program, hosted SheSays and TEDx events and sponsored the 3% Conference last year.
In addition to setting the agency’s strategic course, Freeman will continue to
run the business side of the agency with a focus on strengthening the shop’s talent pool (She recently hired 72andSunny and Deutsch LA veteran Gavin Lester as the agency’s first Chief
Creative Officer.)
“We’ve got the talent, the spirit and some amazing clients,” said Freeman. “We’re going to build a team for the future, and be a
strategic ally for modern brands.”