Ogilvy Africa has appointed internationally experienced communications professional Delna Sethna as Chief Creative Officer, to head up its creative offering for the group’s  Sub-Saharan Africa network from its Nairobi office starting 1^st August.

Sethna has more than 20 years of experience in the creative and marketing space. She comes to Ogilvy from Red Fuse Communications, also part of the WPP group.

“We are really excited to welcome Delna as our new chief creative officer for Africa,” says Ogilvy EMEA CCO Stephan Vogel. “She has led dozens of innovative, exciting campaigns, and been recognised with a slew of industry-leading awards. We look forward to working with Delna, learning from her across clients and across our business.”

The role of Chief Creative Officer is a newly created position at Ogilvy Africa, as the agency gears towards further strengthening its position in the region.

“Delna’s cross-functional experiences as a creative leader make her a rare breed of ambidextrous creatives who’s created successes playing at the intersections of marketing disciplines.

"She’s a valuable addition to our leadership team as we continue building world-class solutions made in Africa. Delighted to welcome her as my creative partner in this journey,” said Vikas Mehta, Ogilvy Africa CEO.

Sethna served as executive creative director at WPP/Redfuse, where – among her other successes – she helped successfully relaunch the Palmolive brand to the Indian market.

After working as a filmmaker in the early part of her career, Sethna entered the marketing sphere, where she rose rapidly through the ranks at several leading agencies, including Lowe, JWT & Burnett and Saatchi & Saatchi.

Among the creative accolades she has received have been at Cannes, D&AD, the #FemvertisingAwards, Spikes, Kyoorius and the Effies. She has also served on many industry awards juries and has been listed among the Women Who’ve Changed the Face of Media. She was named among India’s 50 Most Influential Women two years in a row.

“I am thrilled to be embarking on this new challenge at Ogilvy Africa,” says Sethna. “I am passionate about finding creative solutions to help clients achieve their strategic objectives. Being able to do that in a region as dynamic as Africa is a dream come true.”