Droga5 has made a major move in its global creative leadership, with Barbara Humphries and Damon Stapleton announced as co-chief creative officers for Australia and New Zealand, while Tara Ford takes the reins as chief creative officer of Droga5 London.
The appointments signal a new phase of evolution for the Accenture Song agency, which has undergone a period of rapid international expansion and restructuring over the past year.
Humphries, formerly executive creative director at Droga5 (formerly The Monkeys), and Stapleton, chief creative officer of Droga5 Aotearoa, will now jointly lead the agency’s creative direction across Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland. They will work in close partnership with Droga5 ANZ CEO Matt Michael.
Ford’s move to the London office follows a decorated tenure in Australia, where she led the agency to unprecedented creative and effectiveness success. Under her leadership, Droga5 ANZ earned top global rankings at Cannes Lions, D&AD and The One Show, while Ford herself was named #1 CCO in APAC by One Show and awarded Creative Leader of the Year by both AWARD and Campaign Asia.
Ford will work alongside Droga5 London CEO Bill Scott and Chief Strategy Officer Will Hodge as she takes on one of the agency’s highest-profile global roles.
“The opportunity to take on my next big challenge at Droga5 London was just too alluring,” Ford said. “Droga5 ANZ is in great hands with Barb and Damon at the helm, and I have no doubt the agency will flourish under their leadership.”
The leadership shifts are part of a broader global recalibration of the Droga5 network, now under the direction of Global CEO Mark Green, Worldwide CCO Pelle Sjoenell, and Global CSO Emma Montgomery. The changes come after a landmark 2024, which saw The Monkeys officially rebranded as Droga5, the acquisition of Brazilian creative powerhouse SOKO, and the consolidation of a now 1000-strong global workforce across eight markets.
“With Tara moving to London, we didn’t hesitate to elevate Barb and Damon,” said Green. “It felt like the perfect opportunity for everyone to advance their careers and bolster the creative pedigree of Droga5 globally.”
Both Humphries and Stapleton bring heavyweight credentials to their new joint role. Humphries has worked on globally awarded campaigns including The First Digital Nation for Tuvalu and Play It Safe for the Sydney Opera House, recently being named #1 ECD in APAC by The One Show.
Stapleton has amassed over 500 international awards throughout his career, including two D&AD Black Pencils, 70 Cannes Lions, and multiple Grands Prix. In Aotearoa, he has overseen acclaimed work for ASB Bank, No Ugly, and Meridian Energy.
“It makes me proud to work with the talented people of Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne to add to Droga5’s story,” Stapleton said. “Getting to partner with somebody as massively talented as Barb makes that journey even more special.”
Humphries added: “Learning from a creative force like Tara over the past few years has been invaluable. Now, with the opportunity to bring together more of our talented people across three offices, I’m super excited about what lies ahead.”
The restructured ANZ leadership marks a new chapter in Droga5’s legacy – one defined by cross-market collaboration, global ambition, and a creative pedigree that continues to set the benchmark for the industry.