Ogilvy Social.Lab strengthens its EMEA leadership as Awie Erasmus steps into expanded role as Chief Strategy Officer Social, EMEA

As brands increasingly look to build enduring cultural relevance in an always-on, attention-scarce environment, OSL has set the standard for how social, influence, creator ecosystems and earned ideas intersect to drive measurable business impact. Awie has been central in building that blueprint.

Rob Hill, CEO at Ogilvy Social.Lab, confirms: “Awie has been one of the architects of what makes Social.Lab unique in the Ogilvy network: our ability to turn cultural intelligence into business outcomes. His appointment is a turning point for our region and a strong signal of OSL’s role as a powerhouse for social-first creativity and strategic excellence. We’re proud to see Brussels continue to drive the network’s thinking and shape how Ogilvy delivers the future of social across EMEA.”

For more than a decade, he has shaped OSL’s proprietary strategic frameworks — including Ogilvy’s Social Intelligence capabilities, the Culture Engine, and the Community Compass — which are now used across Ogilvy markets in EMEA and globally. His thinking has fuelled some of the network’s most awarded and effective social work for both institutional and commercial brands.

With this expanded EMEA position, Awie will partner with social, influence and creative leaders across the network to accelerate Ogilvy’s ambition: a single, connected social strategy powering brand growth at the speed of culture.

Awie Erasmus, Chief Strategy Officer Social EMEA, reacts: “Ogilvy Social.Lab has always believed that social is not a channel — it’s the cultural operating system for modern brands. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built in Brussels and excited to expand that impact across EMEA. This role is about accelerating integration: connecting strategy, creators, influence, earned and paid to build brands that move at the speed of culture. We have the talent, the tools and the ambition across this region to redefine what social-first brand building looks like.”

This appointment further cements Brussels as a crucial strategic hub for the region — and a proven centre of excellence for social-first brand building within Ogilvy.