Ryan McManus

Ryan is the Chief Creative Officer of VML UK. He is a multidisciplinary creative with a media-agnostic approach. Before his recent move to the UK, Ryan served as a Chief Creative Officer in North America, leading WPP's largest brand, Ford, where he reconstituted the Ford NA teams to create culturally impactful, award-winning work and drive growth. He led and created iconic work for Virgin Voyages, Miami Tourism, BIC, and the Florida Immigrant Coalition. Prior to this, in South Africa, Ryan grew NATIVE into the number one digital agency which later sold to VML. He oversaw the merger of VML and Y&R to become Chief Creative Officer of VMLY&R South Africa, a full service integrated agency. Ryan led the agency to creative and commercial success, pitching and winning Africa's largest account Vodacom, winning Cannes Entertainment Agency of the Year, Bookmarks Agency of the Year twice, and placing the agency at #3 on WARC Creative Rankings. He has founded his own production company, written and directed films, branded content and music videos. In Amsterdam, he co-founded experimental agency The Soon Institute, and an NGO that won Best New Initiative from UNICEF. He has led and shaped agencies (including time at FCB, JWT, Serviceplan, RSCG, We are Pi) and created culture-shifting work for global brands, including Nike, Ford, Volvo, Google, Absolut, Coke, Nestle, Vodacom and more. Ryan's work has won hundreds of awards across almost every global award show, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, NYF, One Show, ADC, Loeries, and has been a regular judge at global award shows including Cannes. Ryan was listed in Mail & Guardians Top 200, The Media Magazine's Top 40 under 40, and was invited to sit on the Creative Circle EXCO Board.