Covert unveils a trio of promotions
Covert promotes Dan Andrew, Adrian Monroy, and Morteza Parsadan to creative leadership positions.
Creative studio Covert has announced a trio of promotions from within its ranks.
Dan Andrew has been promoted from VFX Creative Director to Head of Creative. Andrew’s appointment makes way for the promotion of Adrian Monroy as Head of 2D and Morteza Parsadan as Head of 3D.
In his new role, Andrew will align Covert’s multidisciplinary teams and departments through close collaboration with department heads to strengthen teams, pipelines, and technology operations. He will also serve as creative lead on various projects. Before joining Covert in 2023, Andrew held the positions of Creative Director and VFX Supervisor/Artist at notable studios, including JAM VFX and Smoke & Mirrors. He has creatively led projects for a diverse range of clients, including Apple, IMAX, White Claw, Dell, SONIC, and Glenlivet, among others.
“This new role perfectly suits my passions and feels like a natural next step in my trajectory at Covert,” remarks Andrew. “I still get to do what I love most, creative directing, while also helping shape the broader team and culture alongside some incredibly talented department heads and creatives. The Covert creative train just keeps picking up pace, so all I can say is hold tight!”
Since stepping into their new roles, Andrew, Monroy, and Parsadan, working closely with Covert Founder and ECD Simon Dewey, have been instrumental in developing a new pipeline that not only enhances Covert’s workflow but also positions the studio to scale for future growth and emerging technologies, such as AI.
Parsadan, who joined Covert in 2022 as CG/VFX Lead and became Head of CG in 2024, now takes on the expanded role of Head of 3D. Over the past three years, he has been a driving force in shaping Covert’s CG capabilities, consistently working to elevate the quality, scale, and efficiency of its projects. He is currently leading initiatives to integrate Blender and Unreal Engine into the studio’s production pipeline, as well as AI-assisted workflows, as part of Covert’s forward-looking technology strategy. In parallel, he continues to mentor the CG team and is preparing a series of masterclasses and training sessions to further strengthen the department’s capabilities. His credits at Covert include major campaigns for IMAX, LEGO, Apple, Verizon, Kellogg’s, Whiskas, Hive, SONIC, and Dell.
“With Dan as Creative Head and Adrian as Head of 2D, we’re working together to push the boundaries of our craft, staying ahead of where we believe the industry is heading by embracing emerging technologies,” says Parsadan. “At the same time, we’re committed to nurturing our team and building a culture of growth, where we advance together by supporting one another.”
“We aim to leverage AI as a tool to support our brilliant artists and creatives,” remarks Dewey. “Under Dan, Adrian, and Morteza’s leadership, we’re already integrating AI in exciting and impactful ways, not as a bolt-on, but as a core part of our technical process, helping to speed up workflows, explore ideas more quickly, and make it easier to share and evolve concepts across the team.”
Monroy’s immediate impact at Covert includes recent campaigns for Go RVing and SONIC. He joined the company after three years as VFX Supervisor at The Mill, where he led award-winning work for Topgolf and beloved holiday spots for Marks & Spencer. A self-taught artist, he got his start at Spain's pioneering Ilion Animation Studios in 2008 as a Lighting & Compositing Assistant. From there, he freelanced around the world, working on films in Argentina and Russia before landing at Aardman Animations in the UK. Monroy has collaborated with distinguished visual effects companies, including Electric Theatre Collective, MPC, and One of Us, among others, bringing extensive experience from productions such as Bridgerton, The Sandman, and The Matrix Resurrections, as well as numerous commercials for major brands worldwide.
“We are working to transform Covert into a reference point in the sector,” concludes Monroy. “We have built a great culture here, driven by talented people, teamwork, and a huge love for art and technology. I am truly excited to contribute to shaping our vision for the future.”