China: Graham Fink: Fink About The Future

Far from taking the slow boat to China, former M&C Saatchi star Graham Fink is hurtling down the fast lane to Shanghai to helm one of the biggest new markets to open up in decades

“I’m always telling people to take risks, to get out of their comfort zones, and you have to practice what you preach, right?” For many of us, choosing to buy a different breakfast cereal might be construed as a shift in comfort zone management but Graham Fink has decided that taking on China would be the best way to shake up his world a little. On June 10 Fink left the offices of M&C Saatchi London, where he had been executive creative director for six years, to prepare to move 6,000 miles to Shanghai, where he will be the chief creative officer for Ogilvy & Mather China. It’s a challenge that Fink is looking forward to, but equally one which he knows will require a great deal of work and a huge amount of collaboration with his new team.

China is on the brink of an advertising revolution; a huge, upwardly mobile, economically vibrant country that is a treasure chest of creativity for those who know where to look. But that potential is exactly that; potential. Couldn’t Fink have had his pick of London or American jobs; why China? “I’d had quite a few offers over the last couple of years,” explains Fink, “but I knew that I would never go anywhere else in London as it would mean I would have to compete against my lot [M&C Saatchi]. Then I got this call from a head hunter, out of the blue, who told me about this very interesting job, based in Shanghai, which would entail looking after the whole of China. And I thought, ‘wow! That’s mind blowing’.

The sheer scale of the role might be daunting to many – Fink will oversee the creative departments of 17 China offices, the main three being Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, with over 550 creatives working under him – but while he’s certainly not underestimating the task ahead, he’s also excited about the possibilities they present. “Look, Coca-Cola is one of Ogilvy’s clients and it’s one of the most recognisable brands in the world, and China is one of the biggest countries in the world; you put those two together and we must be able to do something incredible,” he says. “But I know I’ve got a lot of listening to do, a lot of questions to ask and a lot of talking to people of all levels.”

Fink waxes lyrical about China, describing Shanghai as “New York on acid” and “one of the most exciting places I’ve ever been. As a creative person, to have the opportunity, at this stage in my life, to work in and with something so different is fantastic.” Fink realises that one of the main difficulties, but also one of the main draws, is the culture shock that living and working in China will bring. The Chinese work he has so far seen makes little sense to him, not only because of the language barrier but of the different cultural approach to advertising. “I’ve got so much to learn,” he states. “And though I’m going to ask for a lot of help from everyone, I like the idea of being naive. There’s a great quote which says; ‘in a beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in an expert’s mind there are few’. I love being a beginner.”