• by Susan Kuchinskas , September 9, 2008

U.S. Director, The Factory: Ignition 3.0 (OMD Worldwide)

Jonathan Haber has spent the past five years leading media agencies into the future. At Initiative, he was charged with integrating creative media and technology into the planning process. In this role, he often gave Initiative clients a first look at marketing applications of technologies that hadn't yet been used commercially. He played a key role in winning new business from CBS, Showtime, Lionsgate, Cadbury Schweppes and Hyundai/Kia.

In June, he was tapped by omd to lead Ignition, its über-sexy innovation unit. His focus: developing creative ideas, new media consulting, and marketing and promotional ideas to help any and all OMD clients.

Says OMD North American CEO Page Thompson, "Ignition is the right word. He's truly an idea factory." Haber tempers his creative fire with masterful diplomacy. Because Haber and Ignition act as consultants to OMD client teams, he needs to prove the value he can bring without ruffling feathers. "People like him when he walks in," Thompson says, "and when he opens his mouth, they say, 'Wow.'"