It's hard to keep up with all the latest moves across media, marketing and advertising, so we've made a list. Check out the biggest moves in adland this week.
Clems Melbourne's new CEO
Clemenger Group New Zealand CEO Jim Gall will be returning home to Melbourne to take on the expanded role of Clemenger BBDO Melbourne Group CEO. He replaces Gayle While who has decided to return to the UK. As CEO, Gall will take on responsibility for Clemenger BBDO Melbourne Group’s advertising, digital consulting, web development, e-Commerce, martech, production and activation units. In addition to his new role, he will remain chairman of Clemenger Group New Zealand. Gall has been with the business since 2013 when the agency he founded, Redhanded Communications, was acquired by the group.
Starcom creates new role
Starcom has appointed Mark Duffy to the newly-created position of National Head of Digital. Duffy is charged with connecting digital, performance and data insights with technology platforms and marketing intelligence solutions to drive business and human outcomes. Duffy joins from Columbus where he worked in various roles, including as national head of product and partnerships, and prior to that as national head of performance.
Former Ikon boss to head up MediaCom NZ
Ikon managing partner Zac Stephenson has been appointed managing director of MediaCom New Zealand. He will be replaced at Ikon by Drew DeSantis. They both start their new roles in April 2020. Both report to GroupM NZ CEO Chris Riley. Stephenson will be responsible for driving commercial growth, managing key client relationships and the development of the MediaCom New Zealand team. He replaces Matt Vogts who has taken up a new role as chief growth officer at MediaCom Australia. Stephenson has been with Ikon since 2017 and prior to this spent eight years at OMD.
Publicis Groupe ANZ hires chief product officer
Jason Tonelli has been appointed to Publicis Groupe's new role of chief product officer to expand strategic partnerships and products across data science, analytics, commerce, content and performance marketing. The role is to ensure the Groupe identifies and develops new products for clients to help them in their marketing transformation journey. As part of Tonelli’s broadened remit, he will retain his current role as CEO of performance marketing agency, Performics. In other roles, Tonelli was previously Publicis Media ANZ’s chief digital and technology officer, and executive director of technology, digital and content at Starcom Australia. He has been CEO of Performics for the past two years, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Audited Media Association of Australia.
Rebecca Bezzina returns to R/GA
Rebecca Bezzina has returned to R/GA a third time, this time to lead the London office as managing director. The Australian advertising executive first joined the agency in 2013 as client services director of the Sydney office. She left the agency briefly in 2016 to join Cummins&Partners Sydney as managing director before re-joining again the following year to replace Jon Holloway as VP managing director for R/GA Australia. Early last year, she resigned from the national role and was replaced by Michael Titshall who joined the agency from CHE Proximity.
Karen Lawson exits Spotify
Karen Lawson has stepped down as the managing director for Spotify Australia and New Zealand. Lawson had been in the role since May last year, taking over from Jane Huxley who took on a global role at the streaming company. Prior to joining Spotify, Lawson worked at Sydney Startup Hub as an advisory board member, and held key positions at CareerOne and Yahoo7. She has also launched a consultancy connecting corporates and startups called Xcite.
Emotive appoints business director
Integrated creative agency Emotive has appointed Monika Vidovic as business director. Vidovic most recently headed up the account management team at The Monkeys. Prior to that she was at whiteGREY for three years, after an eigh-year stint at Y&R and IdeaWorks. She will lead the Emotive account service team and manage Emotive’s longest standing client Optus.
VMLY&R Melbourne bolsters strategy offering
Following a spate of other senior hires, Dan Brown has joined VMLY&R Melbourne as senior strategist. Brown joins VMLY&R from McCann and will be responsible for delivering brand strategy across Defence Force Recruitment (DFR) and clients including Australian Unity and the Department of Transport. Over the past year the agency has also hired senior digital strategist Josh Swingler, business analyst Amy Dromgoole, data analyst Anup Bale and strategist Lauren Isaak.
Ex-Columbus exec moves to Alpha Digital
Alpha Digital has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of four senior roles including Tobey Bower as commercial director. Bower joins from Dentsu agency Columbus where he spent the last six months as national head of operations and was prior to that in the role of group client partner for Queensland clients. He has previously worked for UK independent digital media agency, agenda21 Digital. Also appointed to senior roles at Alpha Digital are Chris Lockwood to client strategy director, Amir Rezaee to head of digital performance, and Grant Collins joins the team as head of digital experience.
OOH veteran joins Revolution360 and Captive Vision Outdoor
Peter Franklin has been appointed head of commercial across Revolution360 and Captive Vision Outdoor. He is charged with overseeing the group’s commercial and government concession and exploring avenues for growth opportunities. Franklin has previously worked at APN Outdoor as commercial director for 16 years, where he handled commercial and government relations for APN across Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Prior to APN, Franklin served as development manager for McDonald’s Australia, where he was responsible for developing new and relocated McDonald’s restaurants across Victoria.
opr makes senior appointments
Communications agency opr has strengthened its leadership team by appointing Graham White to the newly created role of chief operating officer, and Jacquie Potter as managing director of Howorth. Potter's new role will be in addition to her responsibilities as opr’s chief growth officer. opr has also strengthened its healthcare team with the appointment of healthcare communications professional Samantha Gale to the role of associate director based in the Melbourne office.
Four Pillars welcomes new marketer
Gin brand Four Pillars has welcomed Jemma Blanch as its first director of marketing, events and activations, reporting into co-founders Stuart Gregor and Matt Jones. Blanch joins from Sydney-based lifestyle communications agency Liquid Ideas where she spent seven years working across brands including Beam Suntory, CUB, Unilever, Singapore Airlines, Dan Murphy’s and RUOK Day. in her new role, she will be responsible for all elements of the Four Pillars marketing mix from trade and consumer engagement through to events and activities in all our 25 markets across the globe.
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