about me



I’m a copy-led Creative Director who still believes the best part of this job is the bit before anyone knows what the answer is.

I’ve spent 12+ years in advertising, working at Ogilvy, Impact BBDO, McCann and Saatchi & Saatchi across Cape Town, Dubai and Amsterdam.



Along the way I helped transform one of the Middle East’s biggest telcos into a global technology brand, built a creative team from two people to fifteen, and made the thing I’m probably proudest of: ProtecTasbih, sanitising prayer beads designed to help protect pilgrims from disease at Hajj. It went on to win globally, including at Cannes Lions and Dubai Lynx, but its real success was much simpler: it took a genuine human problem and found a useful way to help solve it.

I like ideas that feel obvious once someone’s had them. Brands with an actual point of view. Work that understands people before it tries to sell them something. And teams where the best idea wins, regardless of whose name is on it.

Being copy-led means words are usually where I start, but I’ve never been particularly interested in staying in my lane. I like figuring out what the idea is, why anyone should care about it, and how to make it better with a room full of smart people.

I care a lot about the work. I try not to take myself quite as seriously.

These days I’m freelance and based in Amsterdam, currently building Jumeirah’s first global hotel playbook from scratch.

Off the clock, I’ve got a sausage dog who remains completely unimpressed by all of it.

"She can give you the moon, but can also create magic from mere moondust."

— A. Sen, Executive Creative Director, McCann (now Publicis)

Some words from people I worked with

"Kelly's leadership was truly remarkable. Everyone loved working with her, and the way she mentored the juniors on the team was genuinely inspiring."

— M. Chahine, Senior Creative Director, Saatchi & Saatchi MEA

"Kelly is the kind of Creative Director that will make you fall in love with advertising. She's a great mentor and an even better human being."

— S. Pires, Associate Creative Director (reported to Kelly directly)

"She was always inspiring to me and to others. When she left, the whole team — creatives, planners, brand managers — gave her a standing ovation."

— A. Correia, Creative Director, Publicis Middle East

"What truly makes Kelly stand apart is her resilience in constantly pushing the boundaries of the creative product... she balances the hat of being strategically sound and creatively driven."

— M. Bhattacharya, Global Integrated Strategy Director, McCann (now LePub)