Waterfall sets agenda for D&AD presidency

Simon Waterfall will take the theme of ‘sharing’ during his year as D&AD president, making the work that forms part of the organisation’s 45-year heritage accessible to a wider audience.

‘I’ve got bricks of gold in front of me,’ he says of the body of work. ‘Everyone wants access and content. It’s just about making it happen.’

Waterfall, co-founder of digital consultancy Poke, will be taking over as D&AD president from Wieden & Kennedy executive creative director Tony Davidson on 12 September.

His remit will include the appointment of a new chief executive at D&AD, after the departure of Michael Hockney last March.

‘I will be very involved in covering that position,’ says Waterfall. ‘I’m looking for someone who can join things up. We can get someone very substantial [given the salary]. We need someone extraordinary, with their own vision.’

He sees the D&AD’s 50th anniversary in 2011 as an opportunity to create a new physical environment for staff and members. He says new premises are needed to provide greater access for people to meet and socialise, as well as for D&AD to do business.