Leo US has appointed acclaimed creative leader Cristina Reina as its first-ever Chief Experience Officer, a new role aimed at unifying and elevating the consumer experience across the agency’s growing creative communities in Chicago and New York. The announcement builds on Leo’s strong momentum following its global relaunch earlier this year.
Reina joins Leo after serving as Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Quality Experience, the boutique agency co-founded by the late Ari Weiss. Before that, she held top creative roles at McCann New York as EVP, Global Executive Creative Director and Head of Art for North America, and led creative efforts across DDB New York and Madrid for nearly a decade.
“Cristina embodies the human creativity that defines Leo,” said Marco Venturelli, Co-President and Chief Creative Officer of Leo. “Her perspective is the consumer’s—spanning advertising, commerce, and platforms. Her impeccable design sensibility and strategic mindset reflect the essence of modern creativity.”
A consistent presence on the industry’s most respected talent lists—including the Cannes Lions Top Talent Report and Adweek Creative 100—Reina is known for shaping award-winning, socially impactful work. Her standout projects include the Microsoft ADLaM campaign, which earned two Cannes Lions Grand Prix and recognition from Fast Company as one of its World Changing Ideas.
“I’m so looking forward to working with the incredible talent at Leo,” said Reina. “Leo represents a bold vision for what a modern creative agency should be—one that seeks to disrupt norms by leaning into our humanity.”
Reina will report directly to Venturelli and collaborate closely with US creative leadership, including Joe Mongognia, Chief Creative Officer of Leo New York, and Renato Fernandez, CCO of Leo Chicago and Publicis Creative US. Together, they will focus on developing culturally resonant work across all consumer touchpoints, reinforcing Leo’s position as the creative partner of choice for modern brands.
In addition to Reina’s appointment, Leo US continues to expand its creative bench with Dean Paradise and Adriano Matos joining Leo Chicago as Executive Creative Directors. Paradise, most recently at GUT Miami, has earned over 100 international awards, while Matos—a Cannes Lions veteran with 47 wins across 18 categories—returns to Leo after serving as Global Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy.
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