Russel Howcroft has resigned from his role as executive general manager at Network Ten Melbourne to take up a chief creative officer at PwC.
He will leave Ten in February 2017 and begin his newly-created role at PwC in March.
Howcroft joined Network Ten in January 2013. Prior to Ten he had a long career within agencies, including GPY&R and Brandhouse.
“We are sad to announce Russel’s departure. He has made an important and valuable contribution to Ten, both in Melbourne and across the network," Network Ten CEO Paul Anderson says. "As part of the executive leadership team, he played a key role in developing and executing the strategy that has led to Ten’s ratings and revenue revival.
“He was also one of the driving forces behind, and currently chairs, ThinkTV, the marketing and research group set up earlier this year to promote television’s scale and effectiveness for advertisers across all screens.”
Howcroft adds: “Paul Anderson, my management colleagues, the Board and all the staff at Network Ten have made my time here highly enjoyable.
“We have had some great wins over the past four years and I am sure there will be more success stories from Ten in the coming months and years.”
Howcroft will be a key leader in PwC's new CMO Advisory practice, which works across six critical business areas: brand strategy, marketing strategy, market insights, marketing performance analytics, marketing structure and operations, and creative solutions.
PwC CEO Luke Sayers says the new practice has been created in response to client demand for independent and transparent advice.
“Russel is one of the most outstanding media, brand and marketing executives in this country so we are delighted he is joining PwC...The marketing mix has become increasingly complex with the splintering of audiences via the rise of digital and social media," Sayers says.
“Many executive teams and boards are looking for independent advice on what is often a very sizeable investment into marketing and ensuring the spend is aligned to business strategy and delivering real value. Having experienced former CMOs and Heads of Agency working alongside our clients is a very exciting proposition.”
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