AKQA names Helder Santo Americas CEO

AKQA has appointed Helder Santo as Chief Executive Officer of the Americas, expanding its regional leadership as it continues to focus on growth at the intersection of creativity and technology.

Helder Santo will join the Global Executive Committee and report to Baiju Shah, Global CEO. He will oversee strategy and operations across the Americas, working with clients and teams to develop customer experiences across brand, product and service design.

Leadership focused on growth

The appointment signals AKQA’s focus on strengthening leadership to support client needs in a changing technology landscape. Helder Santo brings more than two decades of experience spanning creative, business and technological disciplines.

Baiju Shah, Global CEO at AKQA: "Helder brings a powerful combination of creative leadership, technological fluency and business instinct.

"The first horizon of AI has largely been about efficiency. The next horizon will be defined by the companies that use it to build brand authority and trust through exceptional creative work and meaningful experiences. Helder has spent his career helping organisations translate technological change into exactly that kind of value."

Experience across agencies and ventures

Helder Santo has held leadership roles at agencies including Digitas, McGarryBowen, R/GA and Wunderman Thompson. He has also founded ventures such as AIDAx, later merged with U.N.N.A.M.E.D., combining agency leadership with entrepreneurial experience.

His work has focused on integrating brand, product and experience design, with an emphasis on applying emerging technologies to business challenges.

Perspective on technology and creativity

Helder Santo, Chief Executive Officer of the Americas, AKQA: "I experienced firsthand how the internet, mobile and social media reshaped the relationship between brands and people. AI represents an even more profound shift.

"Over the past few years, I stepped away from executive leadership roles to study this transformation more closely, working alongside founders, technologists and designers. That experience reinforced my belief that the most exciting companies today are those pushing the boundaries of creativity and technology. AKQA has long operated at that intersection, and that instinct to push at the edge of what’s possible makes this a natural fit. I’m excited to work alongside the extraordinary talent across the organisation to help our clients shape what comes next."

AKQA continues to work with global brands including Nike, Google, Lexus, Volvo and TikTok as it develops its offering across markets.

www.akqa.com

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