Michael Darragh
Digital Transformation Specialist

Michael Darragh

Previously in McCann and Ogilvy.
Work with Michael Work with a Digital Transformation Specialist

About

Michael Darragh has over 20 years of international experience helping marketing and business leaders embrace digital transformation, including in-house operational efficiencies and award-winning marcoms strategies. He has worked with prestigious agencies, brands and businesses around the world including McCann and Ogilvy.

Employment

6 roles
Jun 2016 - Present 9 years 10 months
Consultant - Digital Marketing & Technology (independent)
Elephant.md
  • Conceptualized and established Elephant.md as an independent consultancy and Limited company in London in 2016, and subsequent legal trading entities in the USA (California), EU (France), and Australia.
  • Created an original suite of professional digital services — spanning Brand Strategy, Digital Experience, MarTech Solutions, and Business Transformation — that he sold and led, and successfully delivered for clients in the UK, the USA, Switzerland, and France by a network of hand-selected freelance contractors around the world.
  • Grew revenue from zero to seven figures within two years.
  • Pitched and won new business with DataSaur, Dublin Films, Formic Technologies, General Mills, HealthPartners, Nestlé, Santander, and Sun Country Airlines.
Jun 2018 - May 2021 2 years 11 months
Consultant (retained)
General Mills, Minneapolis MN USA
  • Worked with Senior Director to build in-house marketing and technology team of 170 full-time employees, contributing to $50mm in annual growth supporting 42 countries.
  • Responsible for end-to-end digital marketing capabilities including digital strategy, content strategy and planning, creative/content production, CRM, loyalty, e-commerce, technical solution development, and data analytics resulting.
  • Embedded within global marketing teams to provide support from brand planning to execution and analytics.
  • Led e-commerce capability supporting global initiatives including 2nd party data and content capability creation.
  • Acted as a translator between the marketing and technology organizations resulting in successful digital transformation initiatives in North America and Europe.
  • Conducted talent planning, recruitment, development, and mentoring.
  • Architect of in-house digital, content, strategy, and transformation projects for numerous famous brands, including Annie’s, Blue Buffalo, Betty Crocker, Cheerio’s, Epic, and Pillsbury.
Mar 2015 - Aug 2016 1 year 5 months
Managing Director, Social Media
McCann UK/Europe, London
  • I pitched a next-gen business idea to McCann in 2014 and secured investment to launch a social media “agency within an agency” called McCann LIVE. LIVE provides agile data-driven creativity, ‘right time’ planning, content marketing, and campaign management services at the speed of Social.
  • Supervised financial and talent management as the business lead for LIVE. Managed P&L and budget/target forecasting.
  • Developed new ways of using data to inform the traditional agency creative process.
  • Assigned as the Managing Partner of the London advertising agency and was also invested in the success of the agency through business development, talent management, integration, and client services.
  • Clients: General Mills, L’Oréal Paris, MasterCard Europe, and Premier Foods.
Jan 2013 - Feb 2015 2 years 1 month
Managing Partner, Digital & Content
Ogilvy UK, London
  • Promoted to a new leadership role and launched a new approach and business unit for Content — architect of solutions for reactive, editorial, and long shelf-life content.
  • Launched the agency’s first Data services offering.
  • Responsible for financial and talent management.
  • Clients: Amex, BP, British Airways, Land Rover, Unilever (Hellmann’s), and UPS.
  • Awarded Best Social/Digital Consultancy EMEA – Sabre Awards 2015.
Sep 2010 - Dec 2012 2 years 3 months
Head of Digital
Ogilvy PR London
  • Part of the Senior Management and Leadership team contributing to the UK agency’s turnaround and overall growth over the past three years, bucking industry trends and resulting in the agency's 2014 position as the eighth largest UK PR firm by revenue.
  • Trusted counselor to a diverse range of portfolio clients and account teams, and senior new business drivers.
  • Transferred to London office to launch new Social media offering.
  • Grew team from zero to 50 in two years while working within a strictly managed financial admin environment.
  • Clients: BP, British Airways, Ford, UPS, and Volvo.
  • Awarded Best Social/Digital Consultancy EMEA – Sabre Awards 2013.
Sep 2006 - Sep 2010 4 years
Head of Digital
Ogilvy PR China, Shanghai
  • Launched the agency’s first digital practice in APAC called 360 Digital Influence.
  • Responsible for defining the offering, developing services, evangelizing digital channels, hiring experts, building partnerships, and creating new revenue streams.
  • Managed digital projects and influencer outreach for Shanghai 2007 Special Olympics, Beijing 2008 Olympics and Paralympics Games, Shanghai 2010 World Expo, and other significant sporting and cultural events in China.
  • Clients: Adidas, Goodyear, Intel, Louis Vuitton, Unilever, Vans, and Venetian Macau.
  • Won the Best Use of Digital at APAC PR Week awards thrice (2007, 2008, 2010).

Portfolio

3 items