Forsman & Bodenfors Elevates Steve Gorski to Head of Strategy
In a move that both reinforces its U.S. footprint and its reputation for cultivating creativity through collaboration, global creative collective Forsman & Bodenfors’ New York office has promoted Strategy Director Steve Gorski to the role of Head of Strategy.
Gorski’s promotion marks a natural progression for Forsman & Bodenfors, which didn’t have to look very far to find the ideal person to further establish its strategy offer in the U.S. and increase its visibility within the strategy community. In fact, during his tenure at the global creative collective, Gorski has proved himself invaluable in connecting Forsman & Bodenfors with brands as he helped win and grow a longstanding relationship with Diageo, further developed the agency’s relationship with Crocs, and played a pivotal role in winning new brand partnerships including Inkbox, Feeding America, YouTube, Saucony, and iRobot.
As Gorski moves up into the role of Head of Strategy in the US, Tom Suharto, who has held that role since joining Forsman & Bodenfors from Wieden & Kennedy in 2020, will step up to Global Strategy Lead. Suharto will work alongside Global Executive Chairman Anna Qvennerstedt and Global Managing Director Eric Zuncic on developing deeper working relationships with the agency’s global clients, as well as leading Forsman & Bodenfors’ product community across the collective.
Toby Southgate, Global CEO, commented that “Tom’s balance of humanity, insight, and sheer intellect has made him an invaluable partner to our leaders across the collective in a very short space of time. I’m delighted that more of our people and clients will now benefit from his partnership”.
Gorski will assume responsibility for overseeing all U.S. clients plus new business while also fostering development of the strategy team. “We have an amazing roster of strategists, comms planners, and analysts, and I want to help them continue to grow,” Gorski says. “What’s important to me and Forsman is culture — we have a different way of getting to world-class work, and the environment we create plays a big role in that being successful. Another big focus of mine will be growing our existing partner relationships and connecting with other offices within the Forsman collective.”
With over a decade of experience across creative and media agencies including PHD, Publicis, and KBS, Gorski helped launch the first-ever BMW X2 for a distinctively nontraditional-BMW audience, creating the brand’s first-ever female-only commercial and marketing tactics specifically engaging the LGBTQIA+ community, while also helping YouTube leverage its ecosystem to boost the use of YouTube Music. Through it all, Gorski has abided by a simple, yet profound philosophy: “I believe brands shape culture whether they know it or not,” he says. “It’s my goal to help brands find their voice, embed themselves into culture, and fuel their fandom by giving back to those communities.”
As he settles into his new Head of Strategy role, Gorski looks back on his evolution at Forsman & Bodenfors. “I started off here as a Senior Strategist, and now I’ve grown into this role,” he says. “I can’t think of many other places that offer that type of opportunity. Usually agency leadership moves come from the outside, and while we’ve had some of that, I think my growth here speaks to the way we nurture talent and value our employees.”
From Forsman & Bodenfors’ perspective, Managing Director in the U.S. Christina Falzano explains the significance of Gorski’s promotion in relation to the creative collective’s own growth. “Steve has been an integral member of the teams responsible for some of the best work that has been created at Forsman & Bodenfors. He has been the bearer and driver of our radically collaborative, equitable, and ideas-driven culture. I am excited to see his impact on our agency, our thinking, and our work accelerate as he steps into this new role.”