Mark Bonner Named D&AD President
Co-founder of design agency GBH announced to replace Mr President creative partner Laura Jordan Bambach.
D&AD, the global association for creative advertising & design awards, has announced that Mark Bonner, co-founder of agency GBH, has become its new president.
Bonner’s appointment sees him replace Mr President creative partner Laura Jordan Bambach; he will take over the presidency in September 2015. The Work Club creative partner, Andy Sandoz, has also been named as Bonner’s deputy president.
Career
Bonner graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1993 and has since enjoyed a successful career that has seen him work at companies including The Partners, Carter Wong & Partners and SAS before co-founding multi-disciplinary graphics group GBH In 1999.
Now 16 strong, GBH works internationally across disciplines solving communications problems for clients such as Puma, Royal Mail, Land Securities, Eurostar, Flos, Gatwick Airport, Starck Network, SBE Entertainment, Virgin Galactic and Yotel.
Awards
Bonner won a D&AD Student Yellow Pencil in 1991 and a first Professional D&AD Yellow Pencil in 2005, with three more in 2011.
He has received nine D&AD Silver Nominations, six Design Week Award wins including Best of Show in 2003, as well as New York Art Directors Club and One Show wins.
As a regular judge in industry awards schemes – six times at D&AD and chair for Design Black Pencils in 2013 – he has also enjoyed a stint as chairman of the Donside Awards in 2004.
Bonner is a regular visiting lecturer at Kingston, LCC and New Bucks Universities and was selected by The Independent as a Top Ten British Graphic Designer.
Board
D&AD has also added seven trustees to its board: BETC London’s Rosie Bardales, Apple EMEA’s Harriet Devoy, Innocent’s Dan Germain, Interbrand’s Thomas Fitzmaurice, Elmwood’s Andrew Lawrence, Grey London’s Nils Leonard and Google Creative Lab’s Steve Vranakis.
Of his appointment and the future of the role, Bonner says: "As president, I’m interested in exploring the space beyond the disciplines. Today, the only creative discipline that really matters is excellence."
