M&C Saatchi has promoted Ross Berthinussen to the job of head of strategy, with Berthinussen will report to the chief strategy officer Justin Graham.

Berthinussen joined M&C Saatchi as group strategy director in October 2014 following a 12-year career in London, including nine years as an integral player at strategy powerhouse BBH.

There he led the strategy for the global relaunch of British Airways, as well as nabbing a number of awards for the company for work on multinational majors. Since then he has brought his skillset to key M&C Saatchi clients.

Highlights include pushing the NRMADE BETTER brand platform into new areas and articulating the ‘This is the New Lexus’ repositioning for the prestige car marque, including the Lexus Heartbeat Car execution in 2015.

M&C Saatchi Group is a confederation of 10 businesses, and in his new role, Berthinussen will closely align with strategy heads of each of those businesses to ensure a highly integrated, cross-discipline approach is taken to attack business problems.

“Ross is a keen surfer who had been bizarrely living and working in the heart of London at BBH, so we needed to change that up,” Graham said.

“Since arriving he has demonstrated a brilliant balance of experience and relentless curiosity that has taken the strategic offering at M&C Saatchi to a new level. Combined with his child-like enthusiasm, Ross is helping us to challenge what the role of strategy should be in a creative company moving forward.

“This new role will enable Ross to also work closer with the strategy leads across all the disciplines in the M&C Saatchi Group, managing the 30-strong resources. We are thrilled for Ross and excited for what lies ahead.”

Berthinussen added he is “massively excited” about the opportunity at M&C Saatchi.