Katie Rigg-Smith, the CEO of Mindshare Australia, is moving to the corporate role of chief strategy officer of WPP in Australia and New Zealand.
She takes the position left open when Rose Herceg was promoted to president of WPP in Australia and New Zealand. Herceg filled the hole left by Jens Monsees who decided to step down as CEO of WPP AUNZ when the company transitioned from an ASX-listed business to one fully integrated business within the global WPP.
Rigg-Smith, the chief executive of Mindshare since 2013 and one of the first female media agency CEOs in Australia, will remain in the role until her successor is appointed.
An internal and external search for her replacement is underway.
Katie Rigg-Smith: “What a privilege it’s been to lead Mindshare for nearly nine years – an agency I grew up in.
“I will be forever grateful for the opportunities afforded to me and for all the individuals across our team, clients, partners and media owners that I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
“I know Mindshare will only go from strength to strength, with best-in-class talent and a wonderful vision to deliver Good Growth.
“I am really excited about this next step in my career and really appreciate Aimee’s incredible support in making it happen. I cannot wait to be part of this next chapter of WPP with Rose and her fierce determination that we deliver extraordinary for our clients.”
Rigg-Smith built her entire career at Mindshare, with a total of 23 years with the agency.
She started as an intern, before ascending through the ranks in strategy and becoming chief strategy officer for Mindshare Australia & New Zealand in 2010, and then CEO in 2013.
Her new role returns her to her passion and heartland of strategy.
She will support the agencies, play a crucial role in driving collaboration across WPP, lead thought leadership publications such as Secrets & Lies, to which she has contributed to recent years, and bring further strategic thinking to the heart of WPP’s portfolio of clients. She will continue to work closely with GroupM and Mindshare.
Aimee Buchanan, CEO of GroupM in Australia and New Zealand: “Katie has achieved so much, and truly is a trailblazing female leader.
“She has been an inspiration to me and many others across the industry, and I’m excited to see her take this next step in her career within the WPP family.
“It’s the end of an era for Mindshare – everyone who knows her, knows Katie bleeds purple. From all of us at GroupM I’d like to thank Katie for her uncompromising passion for our people and clients over the years. She leaves Mindshare well set up for ongoing success with a great team, established leadership and a purpose-led vision for the future.”
Rose Herceg: “In my dream fantasy league Katie Rigg-Smith is my number one draft pick for chief strrategy officer for WPP.
“Katie is first and foremost a strategist, always known to have a strong point of view and a passion for what makes people tick.
“After her huge success at Mindshare, I’m thrilled to bring her across to WPP to share her expertise and insight with a broader network of our people and clients. Having her on board will reap the kinds of benefits that takes us and our clients’ business from great to extraordinary.”
During her tenure, Mindshare has become one of the most awarded Australian media agencies for its provocative and effective client work, recognised in all the major global and local awards including Cannes, The Effies, Spikes, AdNews, and winning three of the last five MFA Grand Prix Awards.
The agency’s work for Foxtel in 2019 was recognised as the most awarded work worldwide helping Mindshare reach #3 in the global WARC 100 list and the agency has also been recognised as 2019 Campaign Agency of the Year: Australia, 2021 Digital Agency of the Year (silver) and Media Agency of the Year (Bronze), among other accolades.
Over the past eight years Mindshare has added some of Australia’s biggest and most dynamic brands winning clients including Campari, Click Frenzy, Craveable Brands, Foxtel, IKEA, Jenny Craig, NAB, Nike, Streamotion, Tourism New Zealand globally, Treasury Wines Estate and University of Melbourne.
Her tenure as CEO has also seen Katie recognised for her contribution to the industry, which has included serving on the MFA board for eight years, mentoring as part of The Marketing Academy, and lecturing at University of Technology, Sydney.
She has three children, aged six, four and two.
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