• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, January 8, 2019

Independent brand and design firm Jones Knowles Ritchie has bolstered the leadership team at its New York office with the addition of agency veterans Olivia Legere and Gavin May. 

The pair is tasked with helping to lead the effort to expand the shop’s service offerings to a broader suite of capabilities — from strategic brand positioning to brand identity development, content and activation. 

Legere has been named managing director, while May has been tapped for the new role of head of strategy. 

Legere was previously director of creative excellence Bacardi, having earlier served at Droga5 and CHI&Partners (now part of The&Partnership). 

May was previously group strategic director at Ogilvy & Mather and oversaw clients including American Express and Starbucks. Earlier agency stints included co:collective, Crispin Porter Bogusky and BBH. 

Both will work alongside North American CEO Sara Hyman to run the 80-plus strong New York office located in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. 

“Today’s consumer is highly engaged in design, wants to discover and understand a brand’s story and demands engaging brand experiences,” stated Hyman. “We are excited to complement our pedigree in brand identity, with Gavin and Olivia’s experience in brand strategy, content and activation.”

In addition to New York, the 29-year-old firm has offices in London, Singapore and Shanghai. It's worked with blue-chip marketers such as Unilever, Kraft and Mars Inc.