UM has appointed Matt Evans as managing partner to lead the strategic media approach for the Optus account.
Based in Sydney, Evans will work closely with the team to deliver and create market-leading value, innovation, and opportunity geared for sustainable growth, the agency said.
Anathea Ruys, CEO at UM Australia said: “Optus is a powerful Australian brand focused on developing positive connections with people across Australia. The team at Optus are leading marketers who think strategically and have a clear, well-articulated vision and plan for the brand.
“This is an account that is so energising and exciting for people to work on, I knew that we needed an incredible leader for this team and from the first conversation I had with Matt, I was convinced he was the right person.
“His wealth of experience across media agency, media partner and creative agency, combined with his nuanced and intelligent thinking, is the ideal blend for a client as world-class as Optus.”
Evans joins the media agency from dentsu’s Carat, where he was most recently head of client partnerships and worked on brands like George Weston Foods, NOVA Entertainment, Mastercard and the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation.
On his new role, Evans said: “It’s pretty incredible when you have that ‘stars align’ moment in your career, especially when there are ticks on so many levels. I’m pumped to be joining this incredibly talented team at UM at such an exciting time for both the agency and Optus.”
He will report to managing director, UM Sydney, Ben McCallum, who said the media agency could not pass up the opportunity to bring Evans into the team.
“Matt has a wealth of experience across almost all facets of media and marketing and will add significant value to the development of the Optus partnership and our people here at UM.
“Matt’s leadership of Optus’ team is critical for the ongoing success of our agency, Optus is one of the biggest and best brands in Australia and I am confident Matt will ensure Optus are consistently at the cutting edge when it comes deploying effective and engaging media campaigns. I can’t wait for his presence to be felt and seen in market.”
Last week, Mediabrands stablemate Initiative made headlines when its core leadership team – CEO Melissa Fein, managing director Sam Geer and chief strategy and product officer Chris Colter – defected to Accenture Song.
See also: Accenture Song on nabbing Fein, Geer, and Colter: ‘Reflects our global strategy to deliver integrated solutions’
See also: ‘Surprised it’s taken this long’: Ferrier and Wright on Fein, Geer, and Colter defection
–
Top image: Matt Evans