Finally creative poaches from tech - as PayPal Exec Defects to Agency Side

Mistress, the multi-disciplinary creative agency based in Venice, Los Angeles, announced today the hire of Lee Roth in a senior role to lead the agency’s Strategy & Social Media services. Roth comes to Mistress from PayPal where he was Senior Director, Head of Advertising, Media and Agencies. Prior to that he worked in Coca Cola’s New York City office as Director, Integrated Marketing Communications, overseeing their entrepreneurial brands Vitaminwater, Smartwater and Powerade.

At Mistress Roth will help build the agency’s strategy and social capabilities and will report directly to founding partners Christian Jacobsen and Jens Stoelken. Roth also will collaborate with the agency’s partners on a startup venture based on a new disruptive business concept.

“Mistress is an amazing company and an incredible partnership,” said Roth. “They’re not just creatives. They’re not just strategists or operating officers. They’re creative entrepreneurs. This isn’t just an agency. It’s an incubator of businesses and ideas and that’s something I want to be a part of.”

Roth’s resume also includes a successful tour of advertising agencies. Before Coke and PayPal, he was Account Managing Director at mcgarrybowen, where he launched Droid, led Verizon’s Innovation and Retail business, and managed the Disney Parks business. He also served in senior roles at Wieden + Kennedy and Ogilvy & Mather.

“Lee has a long history of leading strategy that drives great disruptive creative,” said Jacobsen. “And he understands the client mindset. He understands how a business works and the pressures on the client, which generally are difficult for agencies to grasp. He brings to Mistress an amazing business acumen and a deep understanding of the client’s world and what they go through day to day.”

“Lee will help build a business mentality not only within our strategy services but throughout the agency DNA,” said Stoelken. “Strategically we want to keep pushing our creative into being smarter; that’s Lee’s mandate at Mistress. We’re thrilled to have him here.