Enigma has appointed Simon Lee to the newly created role of chief creative officer and partner.
He will oversee the independent full-service agency’s 80-strong team across Sydney, Newcastle, and Brisbane, as it enters a new phase in its 30-year history
As Enigma’s first CCO, and the first leader to join as a partner, Lee brings more than 20 years of experience to the role in leading independent agencies to creative excellence in campaigns for some the biggest brands.
He joins from his most recent role as creative architect, leader and joint owner of The Hallway, helping to take the agency to the forefront of the Australian indie scene – winning seven agency of the year titles and a raft of creative awards including Australia/NZ’s only Design Lion at Cannes in 2024.
“Simon’s appointment is indicative of the scale of our creative ambition and our commitment to achieving it,” Lisa Sutton Gardner, Enigma founder and director, said.
“His breadth and depth of experience, unique creative voice and proven commercial and leadership acumen mean that our clients, and our people are in very good hands. I’m very excited about the extent of what I’m confident we’ll achieve together.”
Lee said of his new role: “With our industry and our clients’ businesses changing at ever-increasing pace, it’s essential to keep evolving the definition of what great creativity means.
“This is a key factor that has attracted me to Enigma – the opportunity to shape a creative offering that’s grounded in timeless truth, but connects with the relevance of right here, right now. And as an integrated creative and media agency with a 30-year track record of delivering strong commercial outcomes for its clients, Enigma has the scale and pedigree to deliver on this. The agency feels like a tinderbox that’s primed to catch fire, and I’m excited at the prospect of helping to spark the flames.”
Lee’s appointment follows that of Joanna Lilley as managing director, Sydney in February and the recent promotions of Justin Ladmore to chief media officer and Amy Dascanio to managing director, Enigma Media.
Top image: Simon Lee