BBDO Worldwide hires Jason Rosario as Chief DE&I Officer

BBDO Worldwide has hired Jason Rosario as its Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Officer. He is reported to be the first DE&I professional to be hired for the C-suite and will start his new role on September 8. 

Rosario brings over 14 years of experience and a track record for driving change, said the agency. He will be based in New York, and report to BBDO’s Worldwide President & CEO, Andrew Robertson. He will also partner with senior leadership to impact the agency’s diversity policy and plans, recruitment, retention, training, education, as well as leverage and advance DE&I in the network, the industry and society at large.

Commenting on the new role, Rosario stated: “We have a unique opportunity to transform BBDO and the advertising industry at-large, through an intersectional and equitable lens. We want to continue to evolve our agency’s mindset to foster a new wave of inclusive culture and accountability, while, of course, doing great and resonant work for our clients. I’m excited to take on this next challenge at such an iconic agency and to see our progress in action.”

DE&I EXPERTISE

Rosario has worked with top clients including Netflix, Yahoo!, Spotify, Verizon Media Group and Huffington Post, helping brands identify inclusive practices at the enterprise level. In 2017, he founded The Lives of Men, a social impact creative agency that explores themes around masculinity, mental health and culture. He has facilitated numerous workshops on allyship, psychological safety, race and culture.

Prior to this, Rosario worked for Verizon Media Group as Manager of Global Diversity & Inclusion and was the Executive Producer and Host of the Yahoo! News original web series “Dear Men.” He has a background in financial services and is a graduate of NYU’s Stern School of Business. Rosario also sits on the board of Made of Millions, a non-profit organisation changing the negative stigmas around mental health. In 2019, he was selected as one of Black Enterprise’s “BE Modern Men of Distinction”.