STOCKHOLM - Ann Ystén has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Perfect Fools, taking over from Patrick Gardner, who is leaving the agency he co-founded in 2002 to embark on a life-long dream of long-distance sailing with his family.

 

Ystén is former DDB Stockholm Deputy CEO and most recently head of marketing and communications at Friends, the non profit anti-bullying organisation based in Stockholm. She takes up her new post on 9 March.

 

Prior to DDB, Ystén was marketing director at The Absolut Company for more than three years where she was responsible for the EMEA markets. She also spent time at Lowe Brindfors in Stockholm, where she worked on brands like SAS and COOP

 

The change comes nearly year after hasan & partner’s acquisition of creative studio Perfect Fools, which is located in Stockholm and Amsterdam. Gardner, who set up the agency 13 years ago with Tony Högqvist and Tony Sajdak, has long-planned to hand over the reins when the agency was riding high. He will work alongside Ann until June to ensure a smooth transition.

 

Ann Ystén commented: "I've been impressed by Perfect Fools’ ability to deliver clients solutions that combine technical expertise with ground-breaking creativity, which are a benchmark for where the industry is heading. I think this expertise is increasingly attractive to clients wanting to navigate this new multi-channel environment.”

 

Ami Hasan, chairman of Perfect Fools, said: “Patrick has captained Perfect Fools successfully through calm and stormy seas for 13 years to create a world-class, highly-respected brand. Ann joins an organisation in fantastic shape and has the perfect mix of client and agency experience to take the business to the next level.”

 

Patrick Gardner added: “I leave Perfect Fools happy in the knowledge we are in a great financial position, have a strong, capable team all backed by hasan & partners. We’ve known Ann for many years and the plan is to work together and transition into the role before I finally set sail.”

 

About Perfect Fools

Perfect Fools is a creative agency for the digital era, with bases in Stockholm and Amsterdam and clients around the world. Our work takes many shapes and over the years we’ve had the good fortune to serve many of the world’s leading brands including adidas, Converse, Electrolux, H&M, Heineken, McDonald’s, Nikon, Samsung, Skittles, Swarovski and Volvo.