For the 7th consecutive time, Creativepool UK has chosen Vladimir von Bergdorff as the world’s no.1 Account Director
For seven consecutive years, Vladimir von Bergdorff, the Managing Director of Foster + Svensson branding agency, has been recognized as the world’s top Account Director by Creativepool, a global creative industry network based in London, United Kingdom.
Creativepool exclusive Top 25 list ranks our esteemed colleague at the top, surpassing colleagues from renowned agencies such as Dentsu, DDB, BBDO, VML&R, Havas, McCann, TBWA, OMD, McCann Health, Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy, and Leo Burnett. This remarkable achievement marks the seventh consecutive year that Vladimir von Bergdorff has been acknowledged as the best in class.
The Creativepool Top 25 list is determined by various factors, including award wins, client reviews, and likes on published projects. Being recognized in the Top 25 signifies Vladimir’s coveted badge from Foster + Svensson and his inclusion in the exclusive Top 25 page alongside other top creatives on Creativepool. This achievement marks his seventh selection by Creativepool as one of the best in his field, with rankings of 2nd and 3rd in 2017 and 2018, and 1st place in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and now in 2025.
Vladimir possesses over two decades of experience as a marketing, branding, and advertising professional, with a deep understanding of the multifaceted nature of business operations. His unique perspective on marketing stems from his diverse experience working from both the client and agency sides, providing him with a comprehensive 360-degree view. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with top multinational companies listed in the Fortune Global 500, holding various marketing positions and contributing to brands across different product design, business development, communication, branding, and advertising domains. Notable clients include HVB Bank, UniCredit Bank, Telenor Group, Ericsson, Apple, A1 Telekom Austria Group, Vodafone, SBB, Ahold Delhaize, Cheil, Samsung, P&G, and Intesa Sanpaolo.
Photo: Mag. Vladimir von Bergdorff, MA, Group Managing Director of Foster + Svensson.
In 2013, Vladimir founded Foster + Svensson marketing and branding agency. He began serving clients such as Telekom Serbia, MTS, MTEL, Raiffeisen Bank, Avon, BMW, Select Milk, Ringier Axel Springer, and Samsung in the digital marketing, data analytics, creative, and design sectors. In 2014, he created a PR campaign for Marina Abramović and the MAI Institute, which gained worldwide visibility and made him one of the founders of the MAI Institute.
Shortly after, in 2015, he supported the founding of Samsung’s in-house marketing agency, Cheil, as the Business Director for eight markets in the Adriatic region. Under his leadership, the team grew from eight to 177 employees in two years. He also secured new clients, including Raiffeisen Bank, Addiko Bank Croatia, P&G, Oaza zdravlja, and Samsung. Additionally, he and his team established Samsung.com’s global publishing shared center in Serbia, which manages Samsung websites in over 50 countries, as a strong and solid base for further growth.
In 2019, Vladimir strengthened Foster + Svensson agency by acquiring new clients such as Richter Gedeon, McCann, MullenLowe & Friends, Knez Petrol, Huawei, Apothecary, Scavolini, Hisense, Gorenje, Asko, Zara, HYCU, Pionir, Alfa-Plam, Almaks, Knight Frank, Mastercard, UniCredit Bank, Banca Intesa, Aik Banka, Leo Burnett, Samsung, Renault, Ursapharm, Heads Adriatic, Fitpass, and others. Later on, the Fosterova grupa (The Foster Group) was established. The group has a five-tier structure, encompassing marketing, brand, and communication operations, non-profit activities, cosmetics, medical and pharmaceuticals operations, IT and technology, and media publishing. The group comprises the Foster + Svensson marketing and branding agency, the Foster + Svensson Brand Institute, a specialized unit for medical marketing communication Foster + Svensson MED™, an luxury online drugstore Apothecary, and Thornet, a technology company.
Legacy and its heirs
Suvodolac is one of the oldest and rarest families in Serbia, dated back in 11th century between 1004-1008 during Byzantine Empire, when Suvodol monastery was built and later rebuilt by Prince Lazar of Serbia as Nemanjić dynasty foundation in 14th century. Complete reconstruction was done during 1866 by Mihailo Obrenović, Prince of Serbia. Suvodol monastery is marked as a cultural monument of great importance under Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia.
Dragiša Suvodolac, one of the few scholarship holders of His Majesty King Petar II Karađorđević of Yugoslavia, was personally recognized by the king for his talent and potential. King Petar II Karađorđević had long been searching for artists to work at the court in the fields of architecture, sculpture, painting, and art in general. With the patronage and scholarship of His Majesty and the Court, Dragiša secured further education and work. After completing his studies, he collaborated with sculptor and artist Ivan Meštrović on monumental works in Serbia, including “The Victor” monument on Kalemegdan in Belgrade (1928) and the “Monument to the Unknown Hero” atop Mount Avala (1938). Despite being colorblind, Dragiša Suvodolac created numerous other works of art, such as sculptures, busts, architectural drawings, and paintings, which are now owned by the Suvodolac and von Bergdorff families. Additionally, he contributed to the facade elements in the French neo-baroque and neo-renaissance styles on the House of Jevrem Grujić in Belgrade (1896), originally designed by the Italian master of decorative painting Domenico D’Andrea using the rare sgrafitto technique. This facade is considered an almost unique example of architecture in Belgrade.
For his exceptional work and contributions to the court, at the suggestion of the Marshal of the Court, His Majesty King Peter II Karađorđević of Yugoslavia honored Dragiša Suvodolac with the rank of Corporal of the Avala Detachment and the Silver Medal with Crown Rare on August 16, 1938, in Belgrade. This recognition is documented in the Military Geographical Institute Belgrade, as evidenced by the number № 821. The Silver Medal, featuring the image of HM King of Yugoslavia Aleksandar Karađorđević, was crafted in Vienna by “Mayer’s Söhne k.u.k.Hof u. Kammer-Juweliere Ordenfabrikanten Wien”, a renowned jewelry shop.
Vincenz Mayer’s Söhne, established in 1810, was a renowned jewelry company in Vienna. Initially, it served as a purveyor to the Imperial and Royal Court. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, it emerged as one of the most significant jewelers of religious orders in Vienna. The company’s address was Stock-im-Eisen-Platz 7 in the 1st district, Innere Stadt (Inner City). After Vincenz Mayer’s passing in 1865, his three sons—Joseph, Vincenz, and Franz Mayer—successfully inherited and continued the business. Their efforts led them to become one of the first and most esteemed jewelers in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Beyond jewelry and silverware, they also crafted orders and decorations, including the Order of the Iron Crown for the state. Their exceptional skills in precious metal craftsmanship were widely recognized.
Vincenz Mayer’s Söhne stood out as one of the few Austrian companies operating in this sector, alongside C. F. Rothe & Neffe. The company’s commitment to quality and exceptional service earned them the prestigious titles of Imperial and Royal Court Jewelers and later, Chamber Jewelers to the Emperor and Empress. Around 1900, Vincenz Mayer’s Söhne, a company of appraisers of precious objects for the Imperial Court Marshal’s Office and suppliers to the Chancellery of the Imperial Austrian Order of Franz Joseph, manufactured all classes of this order, primarily in gold. Their customers included foreign sovereigns and the most distinguished Viennese social circles. The company also supplied the courts of Serbia, Montenegro, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the Vatican, Persia, the Ottoman Empire, and many others. The shop on Stock-im-Eisen-Platz featured a permanent exhibition of art objects and household goods. However, the outbreak of the First World War and the collapse of the monarchy brought difficult times for the company. Due to the economic crisis in the postwar years, the company had to close in 1922.
In the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy, an Imperial and Royal Court Supplier (k.u.k. Hoflieferant) was a merchant or service provider (from 1911, also a company) granted imperial privilege to supply goods and services to the court in Vienna. These companies could be either state-owned (owned by the court) or privately owned. Before the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which established the Dual Monarchy, companies were known as k.k. Hoflieferant (Imperial and Royal Purveyor to the Court) or simply Imperial Purveyor to the Court. This title was awarded only to companies that were leaders in quality within their sector. Therefore, the title k.u.k. Hoflieferant signified the highest class, the pinnacle of business achievement at the time. During Austria-Hungary’s golden age, over 500 purveyors to the court operated in Vienna alone, with others in Bad Ischl, Budapest, Karlovy Vary, Prague, and beyond. The total number of all companies is estimated at 2,500. Even today, several companies and businesses proudly retain this title and openly use it. In Vienna, Austria, there are still about two dozen. Purveyors to the Imperial and Royal Court continue to enjoy a stellar reputation and an aura of exclusivity and superior quality, reflecting the products that once graced the Imperial Court. These products remain among the most expensive and exclusive in the country, highly valued by customers and enthusiasts alike. To be awarded and decorated by His Majesty with a medal made in jewelry shops like these indicates excellence in work that stands out even above their own.
The Von Bergdorff family line stands out due to its unique intermarriage with various royal orders spanning across the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes), Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Consequently, it represents a distinctive family lineage with a relatively rare number of descendants.
Creativepool, a global creative industry network, connects agencies, brands, and creative talents through a social vertical platform. The platform showcases creative works and campaigns, bringing them to the forefront. This is 7th year in a row for Vladimir von Bergdorff to be recognized and listed as world’s no.1 Account Manager on the exclusive Creativepool Top 25 page.
ABOUT FOSTER + SVENSSON
Foster + Svensson is an award-winning European branding, communications, and advertising agency with heritage back in 1860 and incorporated in 2013 in Serbia, who put forward well-considered contemporary design, digital and innovation. Operating worldwide as part of Fosterova grupa, Foster + Svensson is positioned as professional services company, providing broad range of services and solutions in area of marketing. Having bold experience and specialized skills in more than 20 industries, agency provides services to all company sizes. People at Foster + Svensson design brands, use digital technology, data, and strategy to create contemporary visual identities, services, and experiences to help corporate clients improve their performance and manage sustainable business value for stakeholders. Foster + Svensson design and drive innovation to improve the way world works and lives. Agency approach is to be precise, punctual, and reliable to its clients, where it ran more than 2000 projects while working for major companies to be found in Fortune Global 500 and top-tier companies, such as HVB Bank, UniCredit Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, Banca Intesa, Visa, Mastercard, Ericsson, Telenor Group, Apple, Vodafone Group, A1 Telekom Austria Group, T-Mobile, CNN, RTS, Samsung, Cheil, Huawei, Hisense, Ahold Delhaize, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, AstraZeneca, Richter Gedeon, Ursapharm, Inditex, Zara, Renault Group, Knight Frank. Work culture and ethics includes business excellence and delivery of outperforming results.
Foster + Svensson is one of the founders of MAI Marina Abramović Institute.
