M&C Saatchi has appointed Steve Coll as group chief creative officer AUNZ, replacing Cam Blackley, who left the agency last month.
Coll joins from Meta, where he was the head of creative shop for Australia and New Zealand for four years.
Coll takes on an expanded remit and will be tasked with driving greater integration across the M&C Saatchi Group. His role will aim to integrate different agency skill sets and capabilities including strategy, creative, media, design, UX, production and PR in a bid to better cater to client needs.
“I am looking forward to bringing my Meta experience to the Group’s diverse expertise in strategy, creative, media, design, UX, production and PR,” said Coll. “They have been steadily connecting these fundamental capabilities which excites me because, in my experience, gathering diverse skills around big ideas can be absolutely transformative. Not only do creatives want this, clients want it too.”
Justin Graham, group chief executive officer, M&C Saatchi APAC, praised Coll’s “unique” blend of experience from working in integrated and digital agencies as well as in-house at a media company.
“Clients today seek holistic brand experiences, and Steve will play a pivotal role in creatively integrating our end-to-end Group capabilities, merging impactful storytelling with data, technology, and media. We know he will resonate across our clients, ushering in a fresh approach and an inclusive culture to our Group agencies”.
Prior to his time at Meta, Coll served as chief creative officer at WiTH Collective, Droga5 and Havas Australia. He also held senior creative roles at AMV BBDO in London and Leo Burnett Sydney.
His appointment comes just weeks after Blackley’s shock departure from the agency last month after nearly six years.
At the time of his departure, Blackley said: “For several months now I have had robust and respectful discussions with Justin on the shape of things to come. M&C Saatchi globally is going through a period of transition and that has accelerated the decision to part company. The ad industry feels beautifully disrupted at the moment, I’ve never been one to lean into the status quo and I’m keen to build something new after a break. I will be leaving the agency in great shape and will cheer on its success from the sidelines.”
See also: Chief Creative Officer Cam Blackley leaves M&C Saatchi AUNZ
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Top image: Steve Coll