Dentsu Creative Australia has appointed Avish Gordhan and Mandie van der Merwe as the business’ first chief creative officers.
The pair from M&C Saatchi Sydney will report to Dentsu Creative Australia and New Zealand CEO Kirsty Muddle.
Their body of work includes Tourism Australia’s Mate Song and Go Gentle Australia’s Stop the Horror and they have been recognised more than 200 times, including at D&AD, Cannes Lions, The One Show, Clios and Spikes.
They join Denstu Creative’s leadership team in October, and will work alongside executive creative directors Sarah McGregor, Anne Boothroyd and Marcus Tesoriero, chief client officer Gayle While, chief PR officer Tim Powell and chief strategy officer David Halter.
Van der Merwe was named the AdNews’ Emerging Leader of the Year in 2021.
Kirsty Muddle: “Mandie & Avish shape what’s now and what’s next. They’re born leaders with deeply held beliefs that drive their behaviours.
“They want to do work that has never been done before, stuff that shapes society, creates culture and invents the future. They also can see things from all angles, be it CXM, Earned Attention, Entertainment or Media, and have the credentials that prove it.
“They’ve invested heavily into the growth and development of the industry and the people in it. It’s a great example of Sanpo Yoshi, our foundational belief.”
Mandie van der Merwe: “I’m truly honoured to lead the creative offering and be part of this incredible team. It took just one chat with Kirsty and Fred and we were hooked. An agency that centralises creativity and puts it at the heart of everything is a pretty difficult thing to ignore as a creative being.”
Avish Gordhan: “We’re very grateful for the opportunity M&C Saatchi gave us and are really proud of the team we helped build. At the same time, it is hard not to feel a bit giddy by the possibilities of Dentsu Creative and the agency’s vision of building brands through entertainment, culture and content.
“And the chance to be part of Dentsu’s Indigenous social change agency, Cox Inall Ridgeway, and learn about the oldest living culture’s approach to creative thinking, is really exciting.”
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