Walsh brings with him 20 years of experience at many of the industry’s agencies and on numerous blue-chip clients, first as a copywriter and creative director, and later, as a strategist. He also won global awards for his creative work, as well as effectiveness awards for his strategies.

After switching from creative to strategy, he has built a reputation for himself as a planner with a dedication to rigour and evidence, and an aversion to buzzwords and jargon.

He also manages to bring an element of creative flair to the process to help inspire his work. It’s an approach that’s led to work that’s become part of the South African culture, from FNB’s ‘Steve’ campaign to, more recently, MTN’s Nightshift commercial.

“We’re really excited to have Stuart on our team. He epitomises Grey's philosophy of 'famously effective work' with his unique blend of experience in creative and strategic thinking. We also look forward to Stuart driving the strategic agenda at the various Grey offices in sub-Saharan Africa,” adds Paul Jackson, chief executive officer (CEO) at Grey Africa.

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