Carike van Rooyen has been appointed Art Director at BPG Group, marking a significant milestone in her creative career. Based in Dubai, she steps into the role after more than three years with the agency, where she steadily rose through the ranks.
Van Rooyen’s promotion reflects both her creative impact and her growing leadership within the agency’s design function. Notably, she was recognised as part of Campaign Middle East’s “Creative Faces to Watch 2024,” a distinction that underscores her influence in the region’s advertising landscape.
A Rapid Rise Within BPG Group
Van Rooyen joined BPG Group in early 2023 as a Creative Designer. Over the next three years, she played a key role in shaping visual campaigns across multiple client portfolios. As a result, her work contributed to strengthening the agency’s creative output and brand storytelling capabilities.
Now, as Art Director, she will lead conceptual development, guide design teams, and drive creative direction across integrated campaigns. This transition signals BPG Group’s focus on nurturing internal talent while maintaining high creative standards.
Strong Editorial and Design Foundations
Before joining BPG Group, van Rooyen built a solid foundation at Arena Holdings in South Africa. There, she worked as both a Graphic Designer and Picture Editor. During this time, she developed a sharp eye for editorial layouts and visual storytelling.
Earlier in her career, she interned with Sunday Times Lifestyle. She designed layouts for food, fashion, and décor sections. These experiences helped her adapt quickly to fast-paced newsroom environments and tight deadlines.
Creative Expertise Backed by Technical Skills
Van Rooyen brings strong technical expertise to her role. She is proficient in tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Moreover, her academic background in Graphic Design from Open Window has supported her creative approach.
Her ability to combine design precision with storytelling has become a defining strength. Consequently, this positions her well to lead larger, more complex campaigns in her new role.
What This Means for BPG Group
As competition intensifies in the Middle East’s creative sector, leadership transitions like this play a crucial role in shaping agency output. With van Rooyen at the helm of art direction, BPG Group is likely to further sharpen its creative edge.
