U.K. native Richard Cordiner recently moved across the pond and into the Bay Area to take on the role of group strategy director at Venables Bell & Partners. The San Francisco-based agency brought Cordiner on because according to a statement from his new boss, VB&P partner/head of strategy Lucy Farey-Jones, “He comes to us with both the discipline of traditional account planning and a passion for all the new ways a brand can engage its fans.”

During his time in the U.K., Cordiner served as a planning director and led global strategy on Land Rover and Virgin Atlantic while at RKCR/Y&R. Prior to that, he spent nearly three years at Leo Burnett London in a similar role and worked with clients including McDonald’s, Blackberry, Kellogg’s and Miller.

Hey, every once in a while, planners deserve a shout-out here, too.