Grey Canada Taps Creative Powerhouse Fernando Hernández as ECD

Grey Canada has announced the appointment of Fernando Hernández as executive creative director. With over 20 years of global experience, Fernando has worked at top creative agencies in New York, Bogotá, Lima, Mexico City, and Toronto. His award-winning portfolio spans work for iconic brands including Apple, Google, Meta, IKEA, Samsung, Virgin Mobile, Kraft Heinz, Frito-Lay, and Coca-Cola. 

“It has been great to watch Fernando’s work from afar over the years, and we’re beyond excited to have him join our team.  Delivering Famously Effective work is what we do at Grey, and with such a talented and innovative thinker like Fernando, we’ll be delivering work in Canada at a new level,” said Grey’s Gabriel Schmitt, global chief creative officer.  

Fernando shared “I’m thrilled to start this new chapter at Grey Toronto. Creativity, for me, is about solving real problems with powerful and meaningful ideas—and I see a team here that’s hungry to do just that. I know we’ll do amazing things together.”  

A sought-after creative leader, Fernando joins Grey from Ogilvy Toronto, where he served as group creative director on Samsung, spearheading the 2024 global launch of Samsung's Z Series 6 Foldables campaign across 20 markets and in 16 languages. He has held senior creative positions at independent agency Rethink, helping craft the attention-grabbing "Ketchup Fraud" campaign for Kraft Heinz, at R/GA working on the award-winning “The Gentle Giant” effort for AdCouncil, and at Leo Burnett where he helped earn Colombia’s first Grand Prix at Cannes Lions with the Cancertweets work.  His career has also included tenures at TBWA\Media Arts Lab in Mexico City, where he was a regional creative lead for Spanish markets and at Leo Burnett Toronto as a GCD for brands such as IKEA, P&G, and Kraft Heinz among others.  

“Fernando’s creative talent and extensive North American and global experience will significantly enhance our creative culture and client partnerships,” said Karen Lee, EVP, managing director, Grey Toronto. “His appointment signals our deepened commitment to leveraging top talent across our North American studios to further strengthen client engagement.”  

Fernando’s work has been recognized at every major international award show, and he has served as a juror for Cannes Lions Health, The One Show, the Clios, the Effies, the New York Festivals, and The Webby Awards, among others. 

#FamouslyEffective: Grey studios across the globe are creating Famously Effective work impacting clients and the audiences we serve. Recently we used generative AI with Coway to visualize dreams in a sleep-deprived Malaysia, and framed TUMI’s signature contours and cutting-edge craftsmanship as Essentially Beautiful. Using animation reminiscent of The Ren & Stimpy Show, we highlighted the atrocities of British pig farming in partnership with PETA. For Cemento Sol we designed a new tactile signage system implemented on sidewalks so that with a tap of a cane visually impaired people can identify businesses and services in front of them and earned a Grand Prix Lion in Design.