International digital agency Dept is expanding its senior team in Manchester with the appointment of Farooq Ansari as Business Development Director and Senior UX Designer Phil Williams.
Ansari joins Dept with over 13 years of varied experience in the digital sector comprised of roles in senior management, business development, strategy, production and project management. Before joining Dept, he was the CEO of Reason Digital for 3 years prior to moving into a Commercial Director role at Manchester’s Space 48.
Ansari makes these comments on his new appointment: “It’s a great time to join Dept with the agency thriving and going from strength to strength. Dept has been on my radar since the agency’s inception; I’ve always admired their varied projects from web and app development to digital marketing campaigns and enterprise-level software. There is so much to mention when speaking about Dept, I won’t be short for words with their integrated proposition, which makes my new position very interesting.”
Williams joins Dept, alongside Ansari, with over 12 years of experience in digital design and user experience. He was most recently the Head of UX and Optimisation at PRWD and is looking forward to integrating himself in the complex builds within the larger agency. He said: “The bar is set high when you join an international agency, especially when you’ll be working within a multi-award winning creative team, but I’m very excited for the challenge ahead.”
Managing Director of Dept UK & US, Jasper van de Luijtgaarden, added: “ In an industry that is so reliant on talent, we are extremely fortunate to have secured Farooq and Phil. The pair enter Dept with extensive knowledge in the digital sector that will be fundamental in propelling the business forward.”
These two new hires join Dept during a period of growth, as the UK team has doubled its workforce in the past 6 months through the acquisition of Manchester digital agency e3creative, alongside organic growth. This upward momentum is expected to continue with Dept expanding their existing accounts, through an integrated service approach, as well as welcoming partnerships with new brands. Key clients on the UK roster include PlayStation, O2, Triumph Motorcycles, Formula E, Bourne Leisure, Karen Millen, Ann Summers and Johnson Matthey.
