TBWA Switzerland appoints Peter van der Touw as COO

TBWA Switzerland announces that Peter van der Touw has joined the management team as Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this role, he will support the further development of the agency in the areas of work culture, digital structures, efficiency and new areas of expertise. With his appointment, TBWA Switzerland is sending a clear signal for contemporary leadership and further development of the organization - always with a view to its own creative DNA.

With many years of experience in the agency environment - including at McCann, Havas, Notch and Publicis - Peter van der Touw brings with him a rare combination of transformation, creative and business expertise. In various management roles, he was responsible for the establishment and further development of agencies and business areas with a focus on digital communication, cultural change and sustainable growth - as well as the design of organizational structures in the area of conflict between creativity, technology and corporate management.

Focus on modern work culture and AI integration

As COO, Peter van der Touw will oversee the transformation of the agency into a contemporary and future-oriented organization. His focus is on promoting a modern work culture that is based on psychological capital, among other things - supported by trust, purpose and personal responsibility. In addition, he supports the meaningful, creative use of AI-supported work and creative processes as well as the establishment of additional future-oriented areas of expertise - for example in the fields of automation, data-informed creation and modern forms of human-AI collaboration - with the aim of sustainably combining culture, efficiency, technology and creative excellence.

"With Peter van der Touw, we are gaining a driving force who understands further development as a cultural and creative process," says Matthias Kiess, CEO of TBWA Switzerland. "He combines entrepreneurial thinking with a deep understanding of people, technology and creativity - it is precisely this combination that helps us to take our agency forward step by step and keep it fit for the future in the long term."

Over 25 years of industry experience

Peter van der Touw has more than 25 years of experience in the communications and marketing industry. He held leading positions at McCann and Havas before founding Notch Interactive and shaping the agency as Managing Director. He then worked at Publicis Communications as COO and member of the management board and was responsible for the operational business of several agencies. He also took on the role of Head of Human Resources ad interim for around 250 employees. He then supported Group-wide transformation and innovation projects as Senior Strategic Advisor.

Over the past two years, he has worked as an independent Senior Strategic Advisor, supporting marketing and communications departments on the client side as well as agencies with transformation, leadership and organizational issues.

His education includes an MSc in Business Psychology, an Executive MBA in Digital Transformation, a CAS in Sustainable Transformation at the HSG (University of St. Gallen) and further training in Generative AI at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).