Chris Becker
VP Executive Creative Director, Foote, Cone & Belding, NY

After experiencing several career changes in the early eighties from being a welder in the metallurgical industry, to playing Flamenco guitar at clubs in his native Germany, to cutting short his Industrial Engineering studies, Chris finally found the profession that was to become his future: being a creative at an advertising agency.

Fate chose sunny Spain to be the place that would give him the chance to develop creatively. After finishing his advertising studies at the university, he joined the multinational Swiss agency GGK in Madrid in 1983 as Art Director.

Later Ogilvy & Mather channeled his talent from 1986-89, although this meant working in one city after another, including Barcelona, Frankfurt and New York. Back in Madrid, he assumed the Creative Direction of the Ogilvy Mather Direct office in Madrid. TAPSA/NW Ayer Madrid was the next step, an agency that became Spain's #1 agency within two years. The six years with TAPSA were very intense and highly gratifying.

Turning 30 was a good excuse to seek a new clime, country, continent and agency. The new challenge was becoming the ECD of Bozell Mexico, in 1994. In only two years the agency became one of the most creative agencies in Mexico and consequently, one of the fastest growing in the Mexican market. In 1998, in addition to becoming a member of Bozell's worldwide creative committee in New York, he took charge of the creative direction for Latin America. Currently, Chris is Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of FCB New York overseeing clients such as Coke, Beiersdorf, Motorola, Kraft, Lilly and Qwest.

Over the course of his career, he has worked with nearly every type of product, although his specialties have been in the automotive, financial, soft drink and pharmaceutical industry. There is also no advertising festival of importance in the world where he has not won prizes.

Simultaneously with the development of his advertising career. Chris has been working with Spain's film industry for 10 years (reviewing scripts, trailers, sound tracks). He doesn't play any sports but is capable of becoming totally absorbed, while walking for hours through the streets of any city of the world, soaking up everything around him.