Innocean Australia has appointed Ian Hartley and Carolyn Cho senior client partners.
The two experienced advertising executives will lead Innocean’s Hyundai and Kia accounts but will also have expanded remits as client partners as the agency transforms to a "creatively-led", integrated communications offering grounded in data and insights for a range of clients.
Both will report to Innocean CEO Jasmin Bedir.
Hartley joins Innocean as client partner on Hyundai and was previously with The Royals Sydney where he led the MyState Bank, Spotify and SnackBrands businesses.
With 18 years’ experience in the industry, Hartley has also worked at VML Y&R, Saatchi & Saatchi and Arnold Furnace.
He has worked on Australian and UK brands across the automotive, tech and the liquor categories including Volvo, SEAT, Toyota, Huawei, Jack Daniel’s and Campari.
“I was thrilled with the opportunity to start fresh and make the Hyundai part of the business my own," Hartley says.
"Kevin Goult, the CMO of Hyundai, is someone who loves great ideas and frankly, I LOVE cars so it’s a no brainer for me.”
Cho joins Innocean as client partner on Kia and was previously with Fallon in London where she led the ŠKODA account and launched a new brand platform and drove integration and digital and content creation.
Cho has more than 15 years’ experience in advertising and marketing including working with Saatchi & Saatchi New York, Leo Burnett London, Fallon London, Ogilvy Sydney and Y&R.
She has worked in London, New York and Sydney on global, European, UK and Australian brands across luxury, automotive, FMCG, services and causes, including Häagen-Dazs International, ŠKODA, Coca Cola and UNICEF.
“I jumped at the chance to be part of Innocean’s new vision and direction," Cho says.
"It’s an exciting time for the agency and there is no better opportunity than to be part of Innocean’s transformation. Working on Kia instantly appealed to me as I love working on challenger brands, especially in automotive.”
Bedir says the breadth and strength of Australian and global client skills the pair bring to Innocean will help the agency’s growth and transformation.
“Ian and Carolyn bring a wealth of experience to Innocean, not just with automotive brands but with some of Australia and the world’s biggest and best known brands," Bedir says.
"Those skills will be invaluable as we build the Innocean brand in Australia with a multichannel and integrated approach and broaden our client base.
“Wez and I are working together to develop an agency with both creative excellence and cross channel expertise. Ian and Carolyn will be a key part of this, along with some further appointments to be announced soon.”
The new hires follow the recent appointment of CHE Proximity's Wesley (Wez) Hawes as executive creative director, replacing Steve Jackson who departed the agency amid a restructure.
Former CEO Peter Fitzhardinge announced his departure from the agency in March after five years leading the business locally.
Bedir was named as his replacement in June.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.