Former Ikon boss James Sawyer has been appointed managing director of TotallyAwesome Australia and New Zealand.
Sawyer was most recently managing partner of Ikon Sydney and Melbourne and was a member of the agency’s national leadership team. He has also worked at Foxtel as head of media and at Carat.
TotallyAwesome, a forum for brands engaging kids, teens and families to safely interact across apps, games and websites, says it has more than 300 million monthly active users across the APAC region.
Sawyer will lead the businesses’ media and content team to help clients and media agencies connect with users on the platform.
“While still very much working in media, leading TotallyAwesome ANZ to its next phase is a career changer for me and I am looking forward to joining the business,” Sawyer says.
"As the industry moves away from cookie-based targeting TotallyAwesome is poised for growth through its visionary kid-safe technology and privacy-compliant digital ecosystem.
“This ensures a safe environment for young audiences to engage with branded content.”
TotallyAwesome has been growing its senior team throughout the year, with additional positions to be announced soon.
“James is the ideal executive for this key role. He is a highly respected media leader with finely tuned analytical, performance leadership and partnership skills,” TotallyAwesome APAC CEO Will Anstee says.
“The business in ANZ and across APAC has enormous growth potential and James will play a vital role in helping us realise this potential.”
Sawyer had been with Ikon since 2007. The agency was recently rolled into AKQA Media by WPP, with Ikon Communications CEO Lesley Edwards named as the new chief executive of the company.
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