After nearly eight years with digital agency Huge, Derek Fridman is joining Work & Co as associate partner-design.
Fridman previously served as chief design officer of Huge out of the agency’s Atlanta office. Prior to joining Huge in 2012, Fridman was creative director of user experience and innovation at SapientNitro, leading the agency’s emerging experience group.
According to Work & Co, he will continue to be based in Atlanta, but will spend ample time in the agency’s Brooklyn office.
In addition to Fridman’s appointment, Work & Co has made four internal promotions. Dever Thomas, Steve Kuhn, Rupal Parekh and Daniele Codega have each been elevated to associate partner status. Both Thomas and Codega are taking on the title of associate partner-design, while Parekh is now serving as associate partner-brand and Kuhn is stepping into the role of associate partner-product.
The appointments bring Work & Co’s partner count to 19, all of which are founders or company owners. The agency does not have a CEO or traditional leadership structure, instead choosing to rely on its partnership model across its offices in New York, Portland, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belgrade and Copenhagen, which opened its doors earlier this year.
“Our structure is unique in the industry and designed to make sure we have enough leadership to be directly involved in every client project,” said Felipe Memoria, co-founder and design partner at Work & Co, in a statement. “A high ratio of partners—now 19 globally—helps with mentorship, enables us to remain hands-on partners to our clients, and to stay connected across teams. It’s the only way to guarantee quality as we expand the company.”
Founded in 2013, Work & Co’s clients include Aldo, Apple, Chase, Google and Nike. Earlier this year, Ikea named Work & Co its digital product partner.
