Cashrewards has concluded its hunt for a chief marketing officer, hiring Zara Cobb to fill the vacancy left by Nicole Bardsley. As Mediaweek revealed in February, Bardsley left Cashrewards after two years to become head of marketing at Uber, Uber Eats, and Uber Car Share ANZ.
Anthony Seymour-Walsh, the CEO of Cashrewards, said that Cobb will support the business’ goals of growth, and enhancing the member experience.
“We are fortunate to have Zara join our team at a pivotal time in our growth and we are excited to benefit from her expertise across our many marketing initiatives and beyond,” he said.
Cobb began as CMO last week, bringing 20 years’ experience across Australia and the UK to the role, most recently as chief growth officer at Lendi Group, where she helped managed its merger with Aussie Home Loans. She spent almost six years at the company, joining in 2018 as CMO, and becoming group chief marketing officer in 2021, after the merger. In March 2023, she was elevated to chief growth officer in March 2023, before leaving the company in January.
Before joining Lendi, Cobb’s career was in media agencies across London and Sydney, with stints at Initiative, Mediacom, Match Media, and Blue 449. She finished at Blue 449 in 2018 as head of strategy and analytics, before the agency was absorbed into Spark Foundry in 2019.
“From the moment I met the team, I knew this was the absolute right next step – with an inclusive culture, a collaborative mindset and an ambitious plan for future growth I am honoured to play a part in Cashrewards’ success,” Cobb said of her new role.
Cashrewards is the country’s biggest cashback platform, with 2m members and more than 2,000 retail brand partners. It said its members have earned $200 million in cashbacks.
In April, Mediaweek reported that Cashrewards’ has posted a job ad for the CMO role. In the posting, the brand said: “The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is a pivotal role on the Cashrewards Executive Team responsible for shaping the organisation’s marketing strategy, planning marketing investment, driving customer acquisition and retention efforts and overseeing the execution of all marketing campaigns and initiatives.
“The CMO plays a critical role in driving business growth, building brand value, contributing to revenue growth and achieving business objectives. As the voice of the customer on the executive team, the CMO is responsible for shaping the ideal customer experience and identifying insights to continually evolve and enhance the product experience for both members and merchants.”