Special cements Uber APAC leadership team with key appointments

Special has cemented its Uber APAC leadership team with the appointments of Peter Defries and Alan Wilson.

Defries and Wilson have been a creative partnership for 14 years and returned to Australia after almost a decade in New York. They will step into the position of regional group creative directors on Uber and Uber Eats,

The creative duo worked as executive creative directors at BBH NY, leading the J.M. Smucker Company business, which hosts some of America’s most iconic FMCG brands, including Jif, Smucker’s, Twinkies, Dunkin, Milk-Bone, and Meow Mix, plus major U.S. accounts like Walmart and Cadillac.

Defries and Wilson have been recognised with over 30 international awards, and in 2022 D&AD named them both among the Top 20 Executive Creative Directors in the world.

Wilson said of joining the agency: “We’ve been massive fans of Special for some time now. Watching from the other side of the world, we were consistently blown away by the breakthrough work they produced, especially with Uber and Uber Eats. So when the opportunity arose to be part of it, we couldn’t say no.”

Defries added: “Leaving New York wasn’t a decision we took lightly—it gave us some of the best experiences of our careers. But the chance to come home and join this extremely talented team, pushing creative boundaries at a world-class level right here in our own backyard, was simply too good to pass up.”

The pair join the team under the leadership of Celia Garforth, head of strategy, and Lauren Portelli, managing director.

Tom Martin, partner and CCO Special Australia, said of the appointments: “We’re pumped to have Pete and Alan boomerang back to Australia and back into Special. We’re at our best when we bring together top-tier humans who get what it takes to make great work and do it with care, craft and real collaboration.”

Cade Heyde, global partner of Special, added: "The magic of Special Group comes from the extraordinary people behind it. Celia and Lauren have been instrumental in building our creative reputation across APAC. And now, with Peter and Alan joining them, we believe we have one of the best, most exciting teams in the world."

Special expands Uber partnership

Over the past few years, Special has expanded their strategic and creative partnership with Special’s cornerstone client, Uber and Uber Eats, across the APAC region.

The partnership now extends across ANZ, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, all led from the Special Sydney office.

In 2024, Special won a Gold Effie for Get Almost Almost Anything in ANZ, and their partnership with Uber was recognised by Campaign Asia, winning Agency Partnership of the Year across ANZ, Japan, and Greater China.

The team also leads a specialised on-the-ground offering in Tokyo to support Uber Japan’s growing business, which was named Campaign Asia Brand of the Year.

Top image (left to right): Peter Defries, Celia Garforth, Lauren Portelli, Alan Wilson

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