Ant Simmons
WPP creative agency Ogilvy has promoted Ant Simmons to executive creative director, Melbourne.
He replaces Hilary Badger who has joined Leo Australia as ECD in Melbourne, as a result of Leo's winning the consolidation of the entire Suncorp portfolio.
Simmons first joined Ogilvy in October 2023 as group creative director.
Ogilvy Melbourne managing director Gavin MacMillan said Simmons' strong creative nous combined with a laser focus on craft has seen him take an ever-growing role across the agency’s creative output.
"His natural ability to mentor and lead is a great fit for Ogilvy, and we’re excited that he has chosen to take this next step with our team," MacMillan said.
“We are also incredibly grateful to Hilary for her role in fostering creative talent and leadership, and we’ve loved having her as part of our award-winning team. But we also recognise her desire to take the next step in her career and wish her well.
"Her ability to build great talent around her has enabled us to have full confidence in Ant’s ability to shift into this broader leadership role.”
Simmons said it's been a highly productive period at Ogilvy, a strong reflection of the talent in the agency and the ambition to create effective work across all client teams.
"I couldn’t be more excited about working with Gavin, Danielle and the Melbourne team who are all the best in the business. And of course, continuing to work with Toby Talbot who not only inspires the best creativity but also seems to have an endless supply of ‘ugly-cry’ inducing funny stories," Simmons said.
Ogilvy Network ANZ chief creative officer Toby Talbot said Ogilvy has long been recognised as an agency with creativity and effectiveness in its DNA.
"We believe in Return on Creativity – ROC - and having someone of the calibre of Hilary Badger take that belief and supercharge it across iconic Aussie brands has been a privilege for me," Talbot said.
"I wish Hil only the best. She will always be a friend to me and to the broader Ogilvy family. But now is a new chapter.
"With Ant’s global view and local knowledge teamed with Max McKeon, our new Sydney ECD, this is the time for borderless creativity to really come into its own for Ogilvy Australia.”
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