Special Group bolsters talent with new creative director team Maria Ward and Kimberley Ragan

Special Group has hired star creatives Maria Ward (near left) and Kimberley Ragan (far left) to create a new creative director team.

Ward was creative director at Y&R, following three years at TAXI in Toronto. She has previously been the head of design at Colenso. Ragan has worked on a variety of global and Kiwi clients in a career split between America and New Zealand. Prior to Special, she worked at TBWA\Chiat\Day in Los Angeles and returned home in 2013.

Says Ward: “Kim and I both grew up at Colenso and we hung out a lot in L.A. when I needed to escape the bitter Canadian winters but we’ve never had the chance to work together. So, I’m glad she’s home and that we’ve got the chance to work together at an agency we both really respect.”

Says Tony Bradbourne, Special Group partner: “Like many of us here at Special, Kim and Maria have great international experience, they are world-class senior creatives, just the sort of talent we want to be working directly on our clients’ businesses.”

This is Special’s first creative hire of the year following recent wins of 2degrees and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.