WPP AUNZ-owned VMLY&R has appointed design and experience strategist Kirsty Robinson as its first Brisbane-based head of experience.
Robinson brings more than 20 years’ experience working in the space, with a key focus on designing experience-led strategies across digital and physical platforms, for both customers and employees.
She joins VMLY&R from Deloitte Australia, where she worked in Sydney as national digital HR and employee experience lead.
The creation of the role in Brisbane and Robinson’s hire is part of a global push to further integrate CX and UX across VMLY&R’s client offerings.
CEO Jon Bird says it was also one of a number of senior roles to be announced in the coming months, in line with the regional leadership team's vision of where the business is heading.
“VMLY&R focuses on creating connected brands, and so our work extends across the full customer journey, wherever and whenever opportunities exist for brands to connect with their customers and influence their behaviour," Bird says.
"This role and approach are critical to the way we think about building brands and businesses."
Robinson's experience spans leading the pan-European Toyota digital marketing account across 28 countries, through to designing the digital customer experience for Sydney’s Opal Card rollout.
VMLY&R Brisbane managing director Adam Kennedy says Robinson is "a rare breed of strategic thinker" and welcomed her to the Queensland team.
"Where once brand and customer experience were treated as two separate entities or strategies, we knit both together under one roof and under one brief," Robinson says.
"I am leading CX whilst working side by side with our brand and communications strategists to achieve true integration. I’m stoked to be part of the team.”
The new hire comes after a number of exits within the agency including joint CEOs Aden Hepburn and Pete Bosilkovski following its merger.
Bosilkovski has since been named CEO of Clemenger BBDO Sydney.
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