Pippa Berlocher is returning to Australia from Singapore to be CEO of the new super media agency EssenceMediacom in Australia and New Zealand
Berlocher joins from IPG Mediabrands’ performance marketing agency Reprise, where she was APAC President.
She takes over in April from Pat Crowley who has led the agency in the merger of Essence and MediaCom, and who has now chosen to step into a managing partner role, leading the largest clients, including Commonwealth Bank.
EssenceMediacom is one of the largest agencies in Australia and New Zealand, with 550 people, close to $1 billion in billings (COMvergence) and an enviable client list of global and local clients including adidas, Bayer, Commonwealth Bank, Dell, Fonterra, Google, KFC (Au), Lion (NZ) Mars, Myer, NBCUniversal, nib, PlayStation, Queensland Government, The Coca-Cola Company and Uber,
Berlocher moved to Singapore in 2009 to launch the first DWA office in Singapore, which was later acquired by Merkle.
"Having the chance to lead a newly created agency, with the depth of talent and capability in EssenceMediacom and the scale of the global network is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am incredibly excited about," says Berlocher.
"I love the agency’s positioning to deliver Breakthrough Thinking for Brands and really push the boundaries of where we can have an impact for our clients, empower our people and drive culture. I know we are going to create something truly special for the ANZ market and I can’t wait to get started.”
Aimee Buchanan Group Australia & New Zealand CEO says: “As the transformation of EssenceMediacom progresses we’re evolving and shaping the team to make the most of the skills, expertise and passions of all our people to ensure we can deliver breakthrough thinking and ideas for our clients.
“It’s an awesomely exciting time and I’m thrilled for Pippa to come home to Australia to join EssenceMediacom as CEO. She is a proven leader with the ability to drive transformational change.
“We have a strong leadership team, talented people and expert capabilities right across the agency in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. This alongside the incredible clients we have will enable breakthrough thinking on some of Australia's most iconic brands.
“With Pippa at the helm, and the support of Pat (Crowley) and the entire leadership team, EssenceMediacom will live and breathe the idea of breaking through in the new communications economy.
“Pat is a phenomenal client partner and will continue to lead EssenceMediacom’s largest client relationships and support the agency’s future growth. I want to thank him for everything he’s done over the past 18 months. I have absolutely adored working so closely with him on building out the EssenceMediacom proposition and I’m excited for him to step into his new role.”
Pat Crowley says: “I’m super proud of what we’ve all achieved to build EssenceMediacom - the first truly scaled, digital-first comms agency, and I truly believe in our vision to deliver breakthrough thinking for brands.
“The past year working with Aimee, the local leadership team and the global network to reinvent a new agency has been an incredible, once in a lifetime career experience.
“Anyone that knows me knows I’m super passionate about our industry, our clients and being really hands-on with the work, so that’s why I‘ve made the decision to step into a role that allows me to focus purely on that.
“I’m delighted that Aimee, GroupM and EssenceMediacom have supported me to focus on my passions and I’m looking forward to working alongside Pippa as CEO. She is an incredible leader, and from spending time with her during the interview process, I have no doubt that she will continue to bring out the best in all our people, deliver for our clients and shape the future of EssenceMediacom.”
EssenceMediacom, borne out of two pioneering agencies, fuses Essence’s performance, data, analytics and creative technology DNA with MediaCom’s scaled multichannel audience planning and strategic media expertise. EssenceMediacom officially launched globally on January 31.
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