DIGITAL CRAFT
SOCIAL & CREATOR

Riccardo Fregoso

Riccardo Fregoso
DIGITAL CRAFT
SOCIAL & CREATOR

Riccardo Fregoso

Chair Creative EMEA and Chief Creative Officer SEMENAT

Dentsu Creative

EMEA AND SEMENAT

Biography

A true European, both Italian and French, Riccardo deftly navigates the contradictions of his dual identity: French precision and Italian spontaneity, conservatism and iconoclasm, reason and instinct.

Chair Creative EMEA and Chief Creative Officer SEMENAT at Dentsu Creative, Riccardo contributes to the EMEA board’s strategic vision, focused on business transformation through the application of Technology, Creativity and Media. He oversees the EMEA Creative Council and has led global pitches for brands like MSC Cruises, Armani, Campari, Generali, and Ferrero.

With over 15 years of experience in top international agencies, Riccardo started at BETC, then worked at TBWA, Ogilvy Paris, McCann Paris, and Publicis Italy/Le Pub. His expertise spans Fashion and Luxury, Design, Social Media, Influencer Marketing, Experience, Innovation, and Branded Entertainment.

Riccardo’s approach, shaped by his education at Bologna and Sorbonne Universities and Executive Programs at Hyper Island and Bocconi, combines analytical rigor with a passion for culture, tech, and digital trends. His award-winning projects include Bordeaux 2050 (a futuristic wine promoting sustainability), Street Vet (a connected billboard analyzing dogs’ urine), and Playlist Timer (Spotify’s first pasta timer).

He has served as Global Executive Creative Director for Coca-Cola, Nespresso, L’Oréal Paris, Nestlé Cereals, Barilla, Amex, Armani, and MSC Cruises, while helping secure new business from Netflix, Vichy, and Spotify.

Riccardo has judged at Cannes Lions (where he’s also been official speaker in 2024), D&AD, Eurobest, New York Festivals, LIA, and more. He’s been Jury President for the TikTok Awards and Italian Art Directors Club, where he’s also International Ambassador. He has won over 300 awards, including 29 Cannes Lions, 11 D&AD Pencils, and Grand Prix at LIA, Eurobest, Golden Drum and TikTok Europe. Under his leadership, McCann Paris was named French Agency of the Year at Cannes Lions 2019, and Dentsu Creative 2nd Best Agency at ADCI in 2024.

Beyond advertising, Riccardo is an acclaimed Photographer and Film Director, represented by CastaDiva BA. His photobook Adriatico was published in 2022 by Kerber Verlag, and named best photo book of the year by Artribune. Riccardo’s first commercial video, Summer Hits Symptoms, created for Spotify in 2024, won Best Use of Music at the Clio Music Awards and Best Direction at several international festivals, including Cresta and Golden Drum.