GUT Names Katherine O’Brien as Executive Creative Director

Award-winning creative agency GUT has appointed Katherine O’Brien as executive creative director to oversee the delivery of effective, impactful creative work.

Katherine, who has won multiple industry honours including being named to the Adweek Creative 100 List in 2022 and receiving a Cannes Lions, will report to Ricardo Casal, chief creative officer for North America. She was previously group creative director at 72andSunny. This announcement follows GUT’s appointment of Sandra Alfaro as its first US CEO and Natalia Dávila as its first head of strategy in the US, as well as the Network’s expansion to Amsterdam last year, its first office in Europe. 

“Katherine brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective that aligns with GUT’s commitment to bravery and innovation,” said US CEO Sandra Alfaro. “As we continue our growth in the US, she will help steer our creative direction, fostering ground breaking ideas, and solidifying our position as a trailblazer in the industry.”

“I have been so impressed with the work that Katherine has done, I can’t wait to see the creativity, strategic vision, and leadership that she will bring to GUT to help elevate the work we do for clients,” said Ricardo. “Her proven track record with flagship brands demonstrates her ability to bring new ideas to elevate well-known clients and help them evolve in a fast-changing environment.”

“This is an incredible opportunity to lean into my love of innovation and storytelling at an agency that has already set such high standards in the industry,” Katherine said. “I look forward to working with the immensely talented people at GUT as the agency expands into so many exciting new spaces.”

Prior to 72andSunny, Katherine was group creative director at VaynerMedia and served in various creative roles at Grey, B-Reel, Translation and Code and Theory, working with major national brands including the NFL, Burger King, Planters, and others. 

She also is an alum of the See It Be It talent program for women at Cannes Lions School and holds degrees in psychology and economics from the University of British Columbia. 

The GUT agency network was named Adweek’s 2023 Breakthrough Agency of the Year, and GUT Buenos Aires was named Adweek’s 2023 International Agency of the Year.  At Cannes 2023, GUT won a record-breaking 35 Lions, including three Grand Prix, and was named Cannes’ #1 Independent Network of the Year and LATAM Regional Network of the Year, and its GUT Buenos Aires office was honoured as both Independent Agency of the Year and Agency of the Year.