Gloo moves into new Glooburg offices and appoints Sean Donnelly as group MD

Gloo has grown its headcount by 41% over the past year, with a particular emphasis on strengthening the Glooburg team. This created the need for the company to invest in new office space with upgraded facilities and more room - and trendy Greenside with its upmarket shops and cafes was the perfect location for its needs.

"We wanted to create a space where our team and clients would feel comfortable and creatively stimulated," says Pete Case, Founder and CEO of Gloo. "Now we have plenty of room for concurrent brainstorming and meetings to take place, plus a rooftop terrace for some well-deserved time out. This is a space for our growing business, where we can have fun while continuing to provide the level of professional excellence that our corporate clients expect from us."

Gloo's Johannesburg presence has grown so rapidly over the past few years that Glooburg has become the company's commercial HQ. However, the Cape Town office where the organisation was born, continues to produce its share of award winning work and is delivering market related growth as well. "In addition to the new offices, Gloo has also invested heavily in tools, software and training across both offices," adds Case.

Sean Donnelly

Gloo's focus in Johannesburg for the year ahead will include expanding on its work for existing clients, as well as adding specialist staff to its team that will allow it to own more of the value chain.

The emphasis will remain on retaining the company's culture and growing the quality of its offerings rather than on unbridled growth, says Case. "We have never been obsessed with becoming the biggest agency in the country - instead, we have grown slowly and focused on quality output," he adds. "This emphasis will not change."

Recently Case was voted 'Most admired creative leader in Johannesburg' in a national survey of advertising agencies, conducted by Marklives. A panel of 54 agency CEOs and MDs were contacted and the results emphasize Gloo's growing impact on the Johannesburg marketing landscape.

Turning to Donnelly's appointment, Case says: "Sean brings deep experience of running successful digital relationships with large brands in our space. His chief roles will include driving conversations with clients, as well as engineering ways for Gloo to grow in size while retaining its vibrant and creative culture."

Donnelly joins Gloo from Carat, where he was MD for the Johannesburg office. He has a large amount of experience in the digital space and previously helped to run accounts such as Microsoft, Nokia and MTN, to name a few. He will work closely with Gloo's management team to grow and nurture Gloo's business.

Adds Case: "Our clients - and everyone else in the market - are looking for a new agency model. We believe that we are well positioned to offer them this. A strategic agency backed by deep insight of the changing media landscape; helping brands unlock powerful opportunities to communicate and engage the increasingly digitally connected consumer."