Open Communications adds Senior Account Director and MullenLowe Designer to support 40% growth.

Open Communications, the international brand communications agency, is reinforcing its team with two senior team members to meet growing client needs. The agency has received new global assignments from engineering groups Andritz Separation, based in Austria, and Sandvik out of Shanghai, as well as Xylem, a global water technology group. It also added medical startups OssDsign, Vanadis Diagnostics (PerkinElmer), Etteplan of Finland (engineering services) and Oriflame (beauty) to its client roster.

“We’re extremely gratified by the loyal trust of our amazing clients and the fact that we can now support them even better with these talented individuals joining our top-level international team,” says Gunilla Lundström, CEO and Partner at Open. “During the past year, our turnover rose 40 percent to SEK 18 million with a four-fold increase in profitability, making it necessary to invest in expanding our resources in Stockholm.”

Hand-picked core team is the secret
According to Lundström, the latest expansion follows a strategy of hand-picking a small, highly experienced core team with a diverse range of talents that are well-suited for today’s evolving communications landscape. “We’re seeing a strong need for a fast-moving, skilled team with a combination of strategic, brand, design, digital, content, social and traditional capabilities – skilled people who can tell stories across borders, irrespective of channel.”

Scalable global contact network
With the core team as a base, Open relies on a network of connections in Stockholm and around the world – from San Francisco and New York to London and Hong Kong. “Our clients don’t really want a huge team, but rather well-proven professionals who understand their business and can deliver on time, on budget to meet their strategic goals,” she says, adding that the team is easily scalable, depending on the scope of the project.

Scandinavian design, technology and storytelling
“Stockholm is a hotbed of digital excellence, design and innovation with a strong local talent pool that benefits us,” says Open Founder and Creative Director David Gray. “Swedes often think internationally from the start since the domestic market is only 9.8 million people. There is a unique blend of tech innovation and design going on here, and when you add persuasive storytelling to the brand experience, it’s a powerful combination.”

Other projects include ongoing assignments from Ericsson, Infinera (digital networks) Mynewsdesk (digital PR and marketing), Mengus, a Stockholm-based private equity firm, and Scibase (medical technology) as well as Ovako Steel.

New talents joining Open include:

• Magdalena William, Senior Account Director

A former Managing Director within McCann and Account Director at Lowe Brindfors, Peacock Advertising who also has client-side experience, Magdalena brings with her extensive international experience from both B2B and B2C brands and companies. She mixes a wicked sense of humor and insight with a passion for solving complex communication challenges and a background in brand development, event, digital, social, content marketing and more. Previous clients include Ericsson, Electrolux, Microsoft, the Swedish Postal Service (Posten AB) as well as Procordia consumer brands (Risifrutti, Grandiosa, FUN Light) as well as HiPP, a German children’s food brand. In her spare time, she stays active in non-profit organizations or relaxing with family and friends at her getaway in the Stockholm archipelago. 

• Jeanette Andersson, Senior Graphic Designer and Final Art
  A highly versatile and skilled graphic designer with a sharp eye for detail, Jeanette worked previously at MullenLowe (Lowe Brindfors), King, Grey and Paradiset DDB. She brings with her more than 20 years of experience and hundreds awards to her name for her involvement in both traditional and digital work for clients such as Saab, Pharmacia, SAS, Swedbank, BMW, Ericsson, Tiger, Spendrups, Telia, Gevalia, Arla, Thomson Travel and more. Well known in the business for her cool head in the midst of pressure and a fantastic ability to collaborate with creative teams, she is a welcome addition to the Open creative department. When not working, she has a passion for travel and cooking food for her friends.