Rick Greenberg has been appointed CEO of New York-based kyu, the global network of consultancies, agencies, and tech firms that includes IDEO, SYPartners, Kepler, and Sid Lee.   

He succeeds Michael Birkin who has been in the role as founding CEO since 2014 and who will step into the role of Chairman. Kyu is a unit of Tokyo-based advertising and marketing firm Hakuhodo DY Group.   

Greenberg is founding CEO of media agency Kepler, which kyu acquired in 2018. Last year kyu collective reorganized a group of its specialty agencies under the kyu Pulse banner and named Greenberg to run it as CEO.  

“kyu was conceived as a platform for the Hakuhodo DY Group to more deeply address client needs in Western markets, learn directly from the most innovative companies in those regions, and enable entirely new ways of doing business across our group,” said Yasuo Nishiyama, President and CEO of Hakuhodo DY Holdings.  

 “kyu’s essential value lies not in expertise or innovation alone, but in the new provocations that arise when diverse perspectives intersect. This collaboration has evolved year by year, making the organization increasingly robust. Michael’s leadership has been the foundation of this progress. He gave form to this vision and, through his execution, built the kyu we see today. As the baton passes to Rick, we expect him to re-examine kyu’s mission from fresh angles and lead the organization forward by integrating human intelligence and AI at an even higher level.”  

Kyu companies include: ATÖLYE, BEworks, BIMM, C2, Digital Kitchen, GDP, Gehl, Ghost Note, Haigo, IDEO, Kepler Group, Lexington, Napkyn, Neol, Public Digital, RedPeak, Rich Talent Group, Sid Lee, Sid Lee Architecture, Sid Lee Sport, SYLVAIN, SYPartners, Upstatement, and Yard.