Lucky Generals Bolsters Leadership Team with Droga Duo

The Clerkenwell agency has named Shelley Smoler and Damien Le Castrec as its chief creative officer and chief strategy officer respectively, with a brief to help drive the agency’s next chapter of growth.

Shelley joins as the Generals’ first CCO and will report into founder Danny Brooke-Taylor. Her priority will be to lead the creative work of the Generals’ London office, while Brooke-Taylor builds on some key relationships such as Virgin Atlantic as well as leading the growth of its New York shop, following its Universal Studios win this year. Shelley’s move comes after seven years at Droga5, where she was instrumental in building the agency, and led acclaimed work for the likes of Amazon Alexa, books and Prime Video, Uniqlo, Brewdog and Coca Cola. Before that, she worked at BBH on iconic brands like Audi, Google and The Guardian. She started her career in her homeland of South Africa and made her breakthrough as part of the TBWA Hunt Lascaris team behind the campaign for The Zimbabwean newspaper, which won over 50 awards, including a D&AD Black Pencil and Cannes Grand Prix.

As CSO, Damien will report into founder Andy Nairn. He will be charged with driving the strategic work of the agency’s London office and working with Nairn on the agency’s own brand. Although a French native, he has spent the last 14 years working in the UK, first at Publicis and then at BBH where he worked on the 2018 IPA Grand Prix-winning account Audi UK, and the APG-winning “Before they book” campaign for World Animal Protection, followed by Droga5 since 2018. During his six years at Droga5, Damien contributed to the success of both global and domestic brands, including Amazon Alexa, Prime Video, Barclaycard, Vestiaire Collective and Royal Enfield. He also built the strategy department and developed new strategic offerings for the likes of Chanel and Philips.

Shelley and Damien have worked together for over a decade at BBH and Droga5. They complete the Generals’ day-to-day leadership team, alongside CEO Cressida Holmes-Smith and MD Vickie Ridley.

Founder Helen Calcraft said, "We could not be more delighted to have Shelley and Damien on board. Not only are they fantastically talented individuals, but they are also a formidable team and genuine powerhouse of insight and creativity. This has felt seamless and natural since the day we met them, and we cannot wait to see how they will both support and challenge us to be the best we can be. We have never felt luckier."

Shelley and Damien said, “We’ve absolutely loved our time at Droga5 and remain incredibly proud of all the things we’ve done together but after 7 years, it’s time for a change. Finding a place where culture, strategy, and creativity are everything is rare. It means everything to them, and it means everything to us. And now, we are ready to make our own luck together.”