Media Agency 50, 2024

Louise Romeo

Starcom Australia, chief operating officer

Louise Romeo was appointed as chief operating officer of Starcom Australia in 2023.

She has over 17 years of industry experience in the Australian media industry, having held senior roles across multiple holding companies.

Romeo has managed a diverse portfolio of local and global clients across various sectors, including automotive, retail, FMCG, entertainment, banking, travel, and telecommunications.

As chief operating officer, Romeo’s role is unique in market, as it blends the precision of investment strategy with the finesse of operational management. With her continued focus on national standardisation, operational effectiveness, and investment, Louise is committed to shaping the media agency of the future.

A key milestone for Romeo in 2023 was working alongside her Starcom team to secure one of the biggest local pitches of the year, TPG Telecom.

Jane Stanley

Hearts & Science, chief executive officer

Stanley has been with the Omnicom Media Group agency since its launch in New Zealand in 2019. Her experience in marketing leadership spans over a decade, encompassing a full gamut of categories, including brand, creative, digital, CRM, and media.

Stanley is passionate about leading innovation in the marketing and communications field and, in doing so, creating an inspiring workplace for internal teams. 

As a business analyst in her early career, she is deeply rooted in the power of data. She understands its ability to provide brand and audience insights that propel business growth. 

Under her leadership, Hearts & Science Australia and New Zealand has added brands such as Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to its client list over the last 12 months.

Sue Squillace

MediaHub ANZ, chief executive officer

With over 25 years in the industry, Squillace is an established and experienced media executive who is passionate about building high-performing teams to deliver strategic integrated and innovative client solutions that deliver long-term brand value. 

She was appointed as CEO of MediaHub ANZ in June 2023 and oversees the Mediahub Sydney and Perth offices as an extension of Mediahub’s JV partnership.

Mediahub’s recent wins include Arla Foods, New Balance in October 2023 and a partnership with 303 MullenLowe and Carat for the WA Government. Under Squillace, Mediahub also expanded into New Zealand in December 2023. 

Squillace recently joined the advisory board for a new industry careers platform using her experience to raise the profile of the industry. She is also an active board member of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and advocate of DEI in the workplace & Industry.

Dominic Pearman

Pearman Media, managing director and founder

With 45 years of experience in advertising agencies, Dominic Pearman has witnessed the evolution of media agencies as they separated from traditional advertising agencies and observed the tremendous fragmentation of media consumption.

Pearman founded Pearman Media in 1996 and to this day, the agency remains 100% independent. 

Some of Pearman Media’s clients include sonnen, Aston Martin, Sydney Royal Easter Show and Jaycar Electronics. 

Chris Colter

Accenture Song, managing director of media strategy ANZ

Colter made waves earlier this year when he moved from Initiative with long-time partners Sam Geer and Melissa Fein to head up a new media division at Accenture Song. He is now managing director of media strategy ANZ at Accenture Song. 

Colter is one of the industry’s most respected and accoladed strategists. He has helped some of the country’s most prestigious brands take the brave leaps necessary to impact culture and grow their brands.

Prior to his new role, Colter was the chief strategy and product officer of Initiative and was instrumental in the transformation and success of the agency, including record business growth, industry accolades and the expansion into the New Zealand market.

He has led some of the most famous and effective campaigns in recent years, such as Meat and Livestock Australia’s Spring Lamb, LEGO’s Star of Christmas and Tourism Australia’s Aussie News Today and Dundee.

Outside of Accenture, Colter is an active industry champion for creative connections strategy, Co-Chairing the MFA Ex and Awards board, lecturing at university and founding ‘StratClub’; the industry community for all media agency and publisher strategists to share unified challenges, inspiration, knowledge to further the craft of the industry.

Simon Rush

JOY, chief executive officer

Rush, a respected media identity in Australia, attributes the agency’s success to its deliberate tendency to fly “under the radar,” with most of their clients attained through referrals. 

JOY, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, prides itself on a dedication to recognising and releasing a brand’s potential in every aspect through holistic optimisation.

The agency’s work over the last 20 years has won awards at every major domestic and international award event in media, creative, digital, and social.  

A few of the agency’s notable wins over the last few years include DeLonghi Group (AU+NZ), Musashi, Nutra Life, Kismet Films, Perfection Fresh, Brooks Running and The Australian Olive Oil Association.

Lucie Jansen

Spark Foundry Australia, chief investment officer

Jansen leads a large investment team and is a member of the National Leadership Team and the Publicis Investment Council.

An analytical thinker and an expert in navigating the media market, she leads investment strategy for all Spark Foundry Australia clients, including Toyota, Westpac, Arnott’s and Expedia Group.

Jansen has significantly expanded her team in recent years, with her leadership style and team culture resulting in high talent retention levels and contributing to an excellent agency happiness score.

She prides herself on championing excellence, consistency and sustainability in Spark’s investment product, which has delivered superior client business outcomes alongside significant new business wins.

Outside of her day-to-day, Jansen is a mentor for several of the industry’s female talent. She strives to inspire, develop and guide, ultimately playing her part in eradicating gender bias and discrimination.

Anthony Ellis

Publicis Media Exchange, CEO

In 2020, Anthony Ellis was appointed as the managing director of the Publicis Media Exchange (PMX), which is responsible for leading the investment product and partnerships (media, data and adtech) for all Publicis Media Agencies (Spark Foundry, Zenith, Starcom, Razorfish and MBM) across Australia and New Zealand. 

In April this year, he was promoted to the new position of CEO for Publicis Media Exchange ANZ. Alongside continuing to drive the Groupe’s client-centric approach to deliver tailored investment solutions, his remit has also been expanded to include Publicis Groupe’s Sport & Entertainment division in Australia and New Zealand.

Ellis is also on the Board the Bestest Foundation, which is a children’s charity focused on helping kids that fall outside the boundaries of the larger established charities.

Mark Jarrett

PHD Australia, chief executive officer

Mark Jarrett is the chief executive officer of PHD Australia and has worked in the industry for 25 years with a career spanning almost every major category.

With his passion for comms planning, he has found considerable success leading PHD, an agency known for its heritage in strategy and planning, helping drive sustainable growth in both revenue and billings of nearly 40% over his CEO tenure making PHD one of the fast-growing agencies in market.

He has driven the agency to focus on harnessing creativity and innovation, with the business being recognised 6 years running by AFR’s Most Innovative in the media and marketing category, as well as picking up multiple awards including a coveted Cannes Lion in 2022.

Daniel Willis

Claxon, chairman and CEO

Willis established the independent performance media agency on the Gold Coast in 2017. 

Since then, Claxon has expanded its service offering to include full capability across media, creative, experience and data – all in-house.

The agency’s footprint now stretches to offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Claxon’s recent wins include being appointed as the creative and media agency of record for the health and wellness supplement company, First or Nothing as well as Wideline Group and Celebrity Ink. 

Daniel Cutrone

Avenue C, managing partner

Cutrone has almost 20 years of experience in media investment and planning, as well as deep market knowledge and industry-leading relationships that consistently deliver the best-in-market results for clients.

His mix of a passion for an amazing deal and his ability to connect with people makes him one of the most sought-after investment leads in the Australian media industry.

Cutrone has led investment at independent and globally-owned agencies, and his specialty is masterminding negotiations that drive meaningful value and impact a business’s bottom line.

Avenue C has had a bumper year so far. In February, the independent agency was appointed to KitchenAid’s media planning and buying account. Also, it took over the QuickBooks media account in March. It also partnered with Amaysim in June, telling Aussies to ditch their ‘Hellco’ in a campaign that ran across screens, radio, and social channels.

Stephen Fisher

Hatched, chief executive officer

Fisher was appointed chief executive officer of Hatched in January 2023. He has helped secure significant accounts for the business, such as Forty Winks, Reece, and Brown Family Wine group while maintaining high staff and client retention.  

The Forty Winks win, in particular, was a testament to Hatched’s growth trajectory under Fisher’s leadership.

Under Fisher’s guidance, Hatched has introduced social initiatives such as implementing five wellbeing days yearly for its people, over and above their annual leave. 

In July of 2023, Hatched launched a new Parental Leave policy that provides 12 weeks of paid leave (on top of Government allowance) plus superannuation spent for the duration of parental leave.  

In 2024, Hatched was reappointed as the media agency of record for Bapcor and partnered with pet care brand Swaggle.

Simon Ryan

RyanCap, founder and CEO  

Ryan launched RyanCap in 2020 as a digital-first independent agency purpose-built for the new economy.

He has held businesses at IPG, WPP and Dentsu through significant transformation and growth.

RyanCap is a parent company to three businesses: digital media agency Ryvalmedia, data and tech specialist Foxcatcher and consultancy Tightrope. Ryan sold the group of companies to France-based Labelium Group in November 2023.

The agency’s client portfolio includes Bet365, MyDeal, Live Nation, Anthem, Mahindra, MYOB, Big4, Hisense, CommBank KIT, Stratton Finance, Ray White, Ignite Travel, Click Frenzy, SelfWealth, AGL and Sleepmaker.

RyanCap employs more than 70 people and is headquartered in Melbourne, with offices in Sydney and Brisbane.

Paige Wheaton

Initiative, chief investment officer

Wheaton joined Initiative as chief investment officer in July 2023. For the past 16 months, she has led the Investment product for Initiative nationally, driving a balance of gold standard investment operational capability and value-driven outcomes – though not just the superficial kind, but instead aligning to Initiative’s clients’ true core business objectives.

Wheaton has significantly impacted key business areas, including the evolution of the investment craft within the agency, from restructuring entire markets to creating new roles and attracting and retaining the highest calibre of talent. 

Highlights of her role are inspiring and nurturing the Investment community to celebrate the agency’s wins and feel proud and passionate about what can be achieved within this craft.

With 15 years in the industry, Wheaton has also worked for Mindshare, EssenceMediaCom, Foundation and Hyland. Before joining Initiative, she spent 6 years at Mindshare within Investment leadership across a breadth of clients including Foxtel, Kayo, Binge, National Australia Bank, HSBC, Ford, Volvo, IKEA and LVMH.

Simon Rutherford

Slingshot, CEO and partner

Rutherford has led the independent agency since establishing it in 2009. With a career that spans three decades, his extensive experience in the industry has seen him work at Media Decisions and The Media Palace.

Rutherford has an impressive track record of delivering innovative strategies for some of Australia’s biggest brands. The agency’s clients include Inghams, Krispy Kreme Australia, Standards Australia, Pacific Smiles and Capilano Honey.

As a leader, he has endeavoured to provide a work culture that inspires his team and is an advocate for transparency in the Australian media industry. Last year, Slingshot took #8 in the Best Places to Work in 2023, marking its third consecutive year on the annual WRK+ list.

The agency has been recognised for its Wellness Team, certified to provide mental health support, monthly wellbeing activities and an Employee Assistance Program for anonymous life coaching or counselling for employees and their families

Ian Perrin

SPEED, managing partner

Perrin is the managing partner of SPEED. He has over 25 years of experience in creative, strategy and media agencies across four continents.

His extensive career has seen him in leadership roles at Mindshare in South Africa, the USA and Australia. Perrin joined Naked Communications in 206 as managing director.

After five years, he moved to ZenithOptimedia to take up the CEO, which he held for four years.

Perrin co-founded SPEED in 2016 and counts Elmo Software, LDV, Colonial First State, Carnival Cruise Lines, Archie Rose, Boody and projects across Dulux Group among its clients.

Fiona Johnston

Dentsu Australia, CEO – clients and commercial

Johnston was promoted to chief executive officer earlier this year, leading client counsel and commercial alongside Kirsty Muddle, who leads product and practices, which captures media, creative, data, and digital.

She joined first dentsu International in 2022 as chief client officer of its media portfolio, overseeing the ANZ market and working as the second-in-command with then-CEO Danny Bass on the strategic direction and growth of the Carat, iProspect and dentsu X brands.

Johnston has more than 20 years of experience in digital media. Her previous roles included global/EMEA chief growth officer for IPG Mediabrands and former CEO of UM Australia.

In 2019, she was named a CEO Magazine’s ‘CEO of the Year’ finalist, secured second place as CEO across the Australian market, and was awarded first place in media. 

Lucy Formosa Morgan

Magna Australia, managing director

Formosa Morgan took the reins of MAGNA Australia in mid-2022, being brought in to evolve Magna’s investment product and responsible for leading and driving the trading strategy and direction for the entire Mediabrands portfolio of agencies and clients.

She specialises in building teams and partnerships across the industry ecosystem designed to make advertising work better and more seamlessly for consumers, advertisers and the media.

A passionate advocate for climate change and leading the charge for gender diversity across the Australian media industry, Formosa Morgan mentors several senior executives and is focused on increasing women in executive management roles.

Haydon Bray

CEO and Advisory, Audience Precision

Bray established the independent agency in 2014, and under his leadership, it has achieved a global presence with clients such as R.M. Williams, Lyre’s Spirit Co., and Warner Music.

Bray’s career has been marked by numerous significant milestones, including becoming Australia’s youngest national media director with DMB&B before establishing Bray Media with his wife, Kerry, in 1989. 

Bray also established the Media Federation of Australia and won several awards for strategy before he sold Bray Media to Carat in 1999, serving as its chairman until he chose to take time off to spend with his young family.

His Audience Precision team has grown from strength to strength, with James Allerton as head of research and insights and Jessica Bray as head of media.

Jessica White

Kinesso, CEO

White was appointed as chief executive officer of Kinesso, IPG’s tech-driven performance agency, in September 2023.

While she is relatively new to the role, White has been part of the IPG family for ten years. Before Kinesso, she was CEO of a full-service digitally led performance agency, Reprise, following a six-year stint in various senior positions in NYC, across Initiative and Matterkind (formerly Cadreon).

She boasts two decades of experience in the media industry – both agency and client-side – the majority of which was spent leading the development and implementation of data-led transformation in media and brand communications for agencies and brands.

White has a reputation for being an expert critical thinker in an ever-changing environment and a visionary leader.

Sam Geer

Accenture Song, managing director

Geer recently joined Accenture Song as managing director in September, alongside long-time business partners Chris Colter and Mel Fein. He is responsible for building the media capability within the global firm in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

He was previously the national managing director of Initiative in ANZ after

being promoted from chief strategy officer in 2021. During his tenure at Initiative, he spearheaded the transformation of the business. He led the expansion of Initiative into New Zealand in conjunction with inaugural client ASB, the market leader in retail banking.

In collaboration with business partners Fein and Colter, Geer launched Initiative’s strategic consulting arm, Initiative IQ, working directly with c-suite and board-level executives to solve strategic business challenges beyond media.

He also sat on Initiative’s global product council, where he was responsible for shaping product and tool development across their 93 markets.

Geer is an experienced media strategist specialising in the intersection between brands, culture and business growth. He has delivered internationally awarded, impactful work for global brands in New York and Sydney including Salesforce, Amazon, Revlon, Coca-Cola, Lego, KFC, Volkswagen and the Australian Federal Government.

Tom & Joe Frazer, Will Harms

Half Dome, co-founders

With a corporate finance and insolvency background, Tom – managing director – brings a wealth of experience in business operations, and is dedicated to fostering a culture of growth at Half Dome. He previously held roles at Ferrier Hodgson and ANZ, managing business turnarounds and strategic growth funding initiatives. 

With a background in programmatic technology and digital media, Joe -head of growth – leads Half Dome’s mission to simplify digital landscapes for clients. He previously held roles at Amnet (Dentsu Aegis Network), where he managed screen-based marketing innovations.

A seasoned media professional, Will – head of product – is well-known for his commitment to delivering impactful strategic media solutions. His background shows a dedication to aligning media strategies with clients’ business objectives, having held roles previously at Vizeum (Dentsu Aegis Network). His work combines business acumen and a passion for media and advertising.

Lyndelle O’Keefe

Founder and CEO, Match & Wood

O’Keefe leads the independent agency Match & Wood as chief executive officer alongside her husband Chris, who is chief operating officer. 

Together, the couple have combined their skills – O’Keefe as a strategist and Chris in investment, negotiations, and management – to create the agency that aims to foster the next generation of media talent.

O’Keefe’s career spans over 20 years in media agencies such as MediaCom and Initiative Australia. As a leader, she is hands-on with the business, running the agency openly and authentically.

O’Keefe’s focus on craft and empowerment with Match & Wood’s team members sees the agency consistently having top performers at MFA courses, NGEN, and Young Lions competitions and on stage as subject matter experts across the industry.

Match & Wood has had a bumper year so far, winning the media account for Maurice Blackburn Lawyers alongside Overdose Digital as its creative agency. Match & Wood was also appointed as the media agency for air conditioning system supplier Advantage Air.

Chris Parker

Awaken, founder and CEO

As founder and CEO of Awaken, Parker led the agency to become one of Australia’s top independent firms, securing eight major new clients this year, including Delaware North, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Blue Cross, Blooms Hearing, WS Audiology, WagePay, Revolution Aerospace and The Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.

Outside of media, Parker keeps his legal skills sharp as a side hustle. A lawyer by trade, he balanced legal studies with his early career in marketing.

While advertising remains his passion, he maintains his practising certificate and, this year, took it up a notch—earning an appointment as a Public Notary by the Supreme Court.

He also holds a Practitioner’s Certificate in Mediation and a Bachelor’s degree in Law with a specialisation in Intellectual Property and Media Law.

Parker’s leadership has seen Awaken achieve an impressive 1,825% growth over five years, placing the agency on the AFR Fast 100 list for four consecutive years. Under his guidance, Awaken has expanded its creative services, developed lasting client partnerships, and carved out a unique position in the market.

Nick Behr

Keimera, co-founder and CEO

Behr is both the founder and CEO of Kaimera. He was also a founding board member of the Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA), a role he recently stepped down to make way for a refreshed board.

Keimera prides itself on having executive team members review social performance, such as business impact on vulnerable communities, and environmental performance, like business carbon footprint, at least annually. 

The independent agency also boasts a written code of ethics and that financial, social, and environmental performance is made available and transparent to full-time employees.

Keimera had an impressive 2024; in April, the agency was named Afterpay’s agency of record in Australia and New Zealand. It will see it handle the national and local media planning and buying activities.

Keimera was also appointed the media partner for MLC and undertook planning and buying services to reach consumer audiences.

Angela Smith

AFFINITY, CEO

With two decades of media & communications experience, Smith has leaned into her previous career as a qualified lawyer and once-upon-a-time research scientist to create an enterprise dedicated to achieving profitable business growth.

With over 15 APAC and Australian Effies & Australia’s sole gold IPA Effectiveness Award to her name, Smith is on a mission to help evidence the vital role that our industry plays in generating behavioural change and creating commercial value.

More recently she’s focused her expertise on championing a culture of wellbeing both within her agency and the broader industry, most recently recognised by AFR Boss Best Places to Work 2022 as the Best Wellbeing Practice in Australia, Experience Advisory Taskforce contributor, IMAA Board & Leadership Team member and Chair of IMAA Diversity & Inclusion Council.

AFFINITY has had a transformative year following its repositioning as a growth accelerator, the recent hire of GM Gavin Sommer, and its recent appointment to lead utility company ActewAGL’s full-service marketing remit and partnership with the UTS Business School.

Elizabeth Baker

Zenith Australia, chief investment officer

With over 27 years in the media industry, Baker is a specialist in investment and media buying and a highly experienced and respected industry member.

As chief investment officer, she leads the media negotiations, market intelligence and investment/activation products for the agency’s clients nationally.

Her investment expertise has been a significant factor in winning new business and retaining clients. RECMA March 2024 ranked Zenith #2 media agency in Australia, with a ‘Dominant’ profile. COMVergence’s new business rankings in 2023 saw Zenith rank #1 in growth, with 33% YOY growth.

Baker boasts a 21-year tenure at Zenith Australia, a milestone exemplifying her importance on long-term commitment, honing craft and cultivating relationships.

She handles some of the most demanding and complex media buying assignments, directing investment strategies for over 70 clients.

Baker is also part of the Publicis Groupe Investment Council, which is charged with the Groupe’s strategic investment decision-making, forecasting, and alignment on key standards that feed into industry bodies.

Over the last 12 months, she has negotiated and placed millions of dollars in media space for pro bono charity partners, including the Children’s Cancer Institute, Queensland Positive People, Missing School and Act for Kids.

Rory Heffernan

Atomic 212°, CEO 

Heffernan was recently appointed CEO of Atomic 212° and was the agency’s first employee in 2010.

He moved to Melbourne in 2014, where he led digital operations and client relationships, before being appointed general manager of the Melbourne office in 2019. He took on the national managing director role in February 2022 and was named CEO in November 2024.

Leaning on his digital and analytics background, he has continued to grow Atomic 212 °’s presence as a market leader in data-driven media strategy and buying to ensure client growth.

Under Heffernan’s leadership, Atomic 212° has developed key products and services to help clients unlock and illustrate business growth from their media spend. Internally, he has cultivated strong relationships among the interstate teams and promoted a supportive and inclusive award-winning team culture.

The agency has had a stellar 2024 with account wins such as BlueScope Australia, Great Wall Motor (GWM), Darrell Lea and Northern Territory Major Events Company (NTMEC).

Joel Trethowan

Alchemy One, managing director and founder

Trethowan’s career has seen him work at UM, Sony Pictures and Microsoft before co-founding Alchemy One in 2014.

The independent agency exists to work with its partners to create transformative change and deliver monumental impact, shaping a better future for people and the planet. Its clients include Bank Australia, Square, Lyka, Biennale of Sydney, Independent Living Assessment & Vialto.

Under his leadership as managing director, Alchemy One has achieved B Corp certification, making the agency one of the few media agencies globally to earn the designation. 

Alchemy One and Trethowan have played a key role in the Fossil Ad Ban campaign, which aims to ban all fossil fuel advertising and sponsorships in Australia. Trethowan has also been a board member of Comms Declare 4 Climate since 2021.

Earlier this year, the agency was instrumental in calling for a ban on fossil fuel advertising with climate advocacy collective Comms Declare through billboards across Australia’s capital cities.

Melissa Fein

Accenture Song, managing director

Fein recently joined Accenture Song as managing director alongside long-time business partners Chris Colter and Sam Geer. She is responsible for building the media capability within the global firm in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Formerly, Fein was CEO of IPG’s Initiative Australia, a full-service global media agency.  In her position, Mel led the most significant business transformation in Initiative’s history, taking the agency to worldwide fame and becoming the world’s most awarded global media Agency.

Her previous roles included CEO of brand and creative agency Ensemble and an executive position at Network Ten, leading the integrated marketing/sponsorship/content division.

She also launched WPP’s ESP in Australia (the global entertainment and sports partnerships group).

She was the commercial director at Viacom for six years, including tenure at the NYC headquarters. She also spent five years at News Corp in sport and travel. 

Fein is currently a director on the Swimming Australia board and was recently re-appointed for a second term.

She previously held director roles on the Media Federation of Australia Board and Cancer Chicks board. She also has numerous advisory roles for industry events and conferences and is a member of the National LGBTQ Executive Allies Forum and YPO, the global leadership community of extraordinary chief executives. 

She has led pro-bono work for AIME, UN Women Australia, Gotcha4Life and HeartKids. She has propelled industry change with campaigns such as “Beyond 3%”, driving record-breaking awareness and donations for all partners involved.

Jacquie Alley

The Media Store, chief operating officer

With two and a half decades of second-generation media experience at one of Australia’s first indies, Alley’s tireless commitment to cultivating a culture of relational and operational excellence adds value to agency stakeholders and clients alike. 

Her courageous curiosity and unapologetic integrity in every sphere of her life underwrite the innovative solutions and improved efficiencies for which she is known.

She is currently the chief operating officer, director of The Media Store, and chairperson of the IMAA.

Imogen Hewitt

CEO, Spark Foundry ANZ and chief media officer, Publicis Groupe ANZ 

Hewitt has spent 25 years in full-service media and creative agencies in Australia and Southeast Asia. A career strategist, she has parlayed her skills in insight, instinct, and understanding of people into agency leadership roles.

In 2024, she was appointed chief media officer for Publicis Groupe ANZ while retaining her role as CEO of Spark Foundry ANZ.

Since taking on the position of Spark Foundry Australia CEO four years ago, she has accelerated the growth of the agency exponentially. 

Under her leadership, Spark Foundry has doubled in size in the last three years, becoming one of Australia’s happiest agencies and topping the new business lists in 2020 and 2022. In 2022, her remit expanded to include Spark Foundry New Zealand.

As chief media officer, Hewitt is responsible for driving growth and connectivity across Groupe’s media business in ANZ and is a Publicis Media global team member.

Partnering with the ANZ media CEOs, her focus is on ensuring best-in-class media, strategy, data, analytics and investment outcomes to accelerate media transformation for Publicis Groupe clients.

She is a board member of the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) and in the last 12 months was one of the executive sponsors, contributing to initiatives such as AANA and MFA’s joint committee on sustainability, the launch of Ad Net Zero and the DE&I Sub-committee.

Hewitt currently mentors nine emerging leaders across The Marketing Academy, MFA NGEN, Publics Groupe’s mentoring program, the Next Generation Management Team, and for two clients.

Philippa Noilea-Tani

Wavemaker Australia and New Zealand, chief investment and operations officer

Noilea-Tani is responsible for $748 million in annual billings and the national operations of the third largest agency in the country, according to COMvergence figures.

She leads a team of over 120 staff, with five direct reports across five offices, contributing to positive client referral scores, retention of Australia’s #1 New Business & Vitality ranking, according to RECMA, and one of the industry’s lowest attrition rates.

Noilea-Tani is guided by her commitment to championing others and inspiring them to recognise their influence within our industry to drive positive societal change.

“Philippa is one of the most respected media professionals in the Australian industry and has received countless accolades for her contribution to the industry and the great Work she produces for our clients,” Peter Vogel, CEO of Wavemaker AUNZ, said.

“However, the achievement that has meant the most to Philippa was being recognised by UnLtd as the Social Change Maker of the Year for the charity and pro Bono work she personally drives to support youth at risk. Philippa is also an accredited Mental Health First Aid instructor and regularly runs training sessions for our staff.”

Marelle Salib

OMD, chief investment officer

Salib leads OMD Australia’s team of Investment specialists. She is passionate about architecting investment strategies that deliver growth opportunities for OMD’s clients and future-proofing her team’s careers equally.

Salib leverages her strong media relationships and 23 years of experience in continually evolving investment products for the agency. 

She leads OMD’s investment specialists, focusing on continually improving and evolving the agency’s relationships with media partners to deliver innovation, collaboration and opportunities for all.

In line with this focus, this year, they developed a new OMD Open House initiative, which is set to drive deeper connection and understanding for media partners of OMD’s clients and their priorities.

Kristian Kroon

OMG Australia, chief investment officer

Kroon leads strategic partnerships, investment, and accountability across all Omnicom Media Group (OMG) assets, creating market-leading client value.

Kroon has worked in media for over 20 years in the UK and Australia and brings digital and publishing expertise across senior sales and agency roles.

His focus at OMG is harnessing the group’s deep capability and talent with its market-leading scale to deliver measurable market advantage to clients.

Jimmy Hyett

This is Flow, founder and CEO

Hyett established his independent full-service media agency in 2015, leading as its CEO.

Before launching his agency, he worked for PHD, Zenith, Hyland and MediaCom. Over the last five years, He has represented independent agencies on the Media Federation of Australia’s board of directors.

Under Hyett’s leadership, This is Flow has seen significant growth in clients and staff and represents brands like Princess Cruises, a2 Milk Co, Air Asia, Eftpos, BPay, John Deere, Hydralyte, Hard Yakka and more. 

To support this growth, Hyett and his team have developed innovative tools and people-focused initiatives, driving the industry’s strongest client retention, staff retention, and culture. Among This is Flow’s industry accolades is the #1 Best Place to Work on the Official Australia’s Best Workplaces List in 2023.

Anathea Ruys

UM Australia, CEO

Ruys continues to make a significant impact at the agency and across the media industry, with over 20 years of experience.

She is recognised for her approachable and people-centred leadership style, fostering a culture of collaboration and inclusivity. 

Under her guidance, she has focused on three key pillars: reducing workloads, supporting employee well-being, and creating exciting career pathways to retain talent in the media industry.

Ruys has implemented policies and programmes to help her team manage stress and overcome challenges, enhancing resilience and engagement among employees and their families.

Her leadership has led UM Australia to become the only media agency in Australia accredited as a Family Friendly Workplace. This commitment to supporting her team is exemplified by the introduction of the Family Flex 8 policy in August 2023, which has already enabled employees to invest over 6000 hours in activities that align with their family needs – whatever they might be.

Ruys’s passion for connecting people and breaking down silos has been instrumental in driving collaboration and shared outcomes. Her ability to build high-performing teams and champion inclusivity has cemented her reputation as a visionary leader and connector dedicated to fostering an environment where innovation and strategic growth thrive.

Matt Nunn

Nunn Media, founder and managing director

Nunn is the founder and managing director of Nunn Media, Australia’s largest independent media buyer, and a director of Local Planet, a global independent buying group.

An entrepreneur from regional Victoria who began his career with WIN Television in the 1990s, Matt founded Nunn Media in 2002.

From its humble beginnings, Nunn Media has more than $500 million in annual billings and boasts a global market footprint.

The Nunn Media group has more than 200 staff across Australia and the USA with clients including Spotlight Retail Group, Bendigo Bank, JB Hi-Fi, Levi’s, Baker’s Delight and Melbourne Airport. It recently acquired award-winning firm Indago Digital to create the nation’s foremost outcomes-focused digital marketing organisation.

As a business leader, Nunn cultivates high-performing teams with a focus on developing the strengths of individuals, building team chemistry, and a ‘get it done’ mindset.

He also applies these principles on the basketball court as an NBL1 head coach, where he coached Knox Raiders senior men’s team to win back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024.

Maria Grivas

Mindshare Australia, chief executive officer

Grivas boasts 18 years of industry experience, having led digital, data and technology transformation for clients across various categories.

She was appointed as the CEO of Mindshare ANZ in September 2022. Grivas galvanised the agency’s people and clients behind a clear and ambitious moonshot – to transform the legacy agency model from a media agency to an accountable consultancy, thus expanding its value to clients and people.

The last 18 months have highlighted the success of this strategy, as Grivas and the Mindshare team have picked up key new business wins including Unilever, Footlocker, the Australian Labor Party and Citibank and supporting the creation of OpenMind for Nestle—a total of $200m in annual new business billings.

Griva’s approach to building Good Growth and transformation for existing clients has seen the agency retain a further $170m in annual billings, maintain an 8.4/10 client score and an 84% happiness score (Media-i).

Jason Tonelli

CEO, Zenith Australia

Tonelli is a seasoned media, technology, and advertising specialist with over 22 years of experience. He has worked with clients across various sectors, including superannuation, financial services, automotive, government, retail, insurance, consumer packaged goods (CPG), and technology.

As chief executive officer, Tonelli is dedicated to fostering a culture where his team excels in media solutions, strategic initiatives, and investment. He is also a Brené Brown Dare to Lead Certified Leader, demonstrating his commitment to empathetic and courageous leadership. 

Tonelli’s leadership has been recognised with several accolades, most recently as a finalist in CEO Magazine’s 2024 CEO of the Year Professional Services category.

Under his leadership, the agency has seen a 31.4% YOY increase in staff due to its investment in people and culture. 

RECMA also ranked Zenith the #2 media agency in Australia, with a ‘Dominant’ profile. Meanwhile, COMVergence’s new business rankings in 2023 saw Zenith rank #1 in growth, with 33% YOY growth.

Tonelli also created the ‘Chapter Next’ podcast after meeting with over 60 individuals to hear their stories of job displacement. The seven-part series gives people tips, tools, and tricks to land their next role by sharing stories from industry leaders such as Rachel Page, Aimee Buchanan, and Mark Coad.

Barry O’Brien OAM

Atomic 212°, chairman and founding partner

O’Brien is among the most highly respected and passionate individuals in the Australian media and marketing industry.

Experience and credentials aside, Barry is driven by an innate understanding that relationships are the lifeblood of marketing. He is the man with the bottomless Rolodex, whose door is always open to anyone and who always answers a phone call.

He understands that the true mark of success is one’s ability to give back, evidenced by his Order of Australia for his contributions to both media and charity.

O’Brien has a love for the industry that spans over 30 years and has held roles as CEO of media agencies TOTAL and PHD, and chief sales officer for Network Ten. 

He is now at the helm of Atomic 212°, injecting experience, tenacity and his undeniably quirky sense of humour into agency life.

Claire Butterworth

GroupM Australia, national head of investment

Butterworth oversees the investment and partnerships practised by GroupM, providing support for agencies Mindshare, EssenceMediacom, and Wavemaker.

She works closely with publishers and partners and collaborates to develop exclusive opportunities and first-to-market initiatives across all channels that create meaningful value for GroupM clients.

Butterworth has more than 20 years of experience working within the investment discipline and has been in the GroupM family for over 13 years, holding senior investment roles at MediaCom and Wavemaker before joining the group.

She is passionate about media investment and loves working with media partners to create market-leading, effective work for GroupM’s clients. She has championed the group’s Responsible Investment Framework, utilising the power of GroupM to shape the next era of media where advertising works better for people.

Butterworth is particularly passionate about the Responsible Journalism pillar, working closely with local publishers to create meaningful programs supporting local journalism.   

She is also passionate about coaching and mentoring, supporting emerging talent to grow and develop and consistently deliver outstanding work. Butterworth has experience across all major categories, including FMCG, Telco, QSR, Banking, Insurance, Entertainment and Government.

Butterworth is a regular commentator on issues affecting advertisers and media and has achieved recognition at multiple award programmes, including the MFA Awards and Cannes Lions.

Melissa Hey

GroupM Australia and New Zealand, chief investment officer

Hey leads media investment and partnership strategy for GroupM and boasts a career defined by a passion for data-driven decision-making and developing innovative solutions.

She carved out her position in the forefront of a male-dominated field through dedication to trust and transparency in all her relationships and consistently championing a strategic, forward-thinking approach to investment.

Hey is a strong advocate for responsible investment, driving GroupM’s Responsible Investment Framework and prioritising Sustainability, Brand Safety, Data Ethics, Diverse and Inclusive Media, and supporting News Investment by launching initiatives such as Back to News, Digital Sustainability Initiative and Motion Entertainment.

She works closely with GroupM agencies Mindshare, EssenceMediacom and Wavemaker to create a collaborative environment and highly skilled team that embraces change and anticipates market evolution to deliver exceptional value and growth for clients.

She led the launch of GroupM’s Next Era Upfronts and a cross-channel training program to upskill GroupM’s team and foster deeper, more meaningful partner engagements.

Her leadership has transformed GroupM’s investment approach in Australia & New Zealand, shifting the focus from scale-driven transactions to strategic partnerships, culminating in recognition as the number one sophisticated and strategic trading group in Australia, according to Media-i.

Peter Vogel

Wavemaker Australia & New Zealand, chief executive officer 

With over 30 years of experience as a media and marketing professional, Vogel’s career has seen him work client side, at a creative agency and in media agencies across numerous international markets.

His career started in the automotive industry in South Africa, where he was marketing manager for Audi. Subsequently, he worked at Ogilvy and founded a media strategy agency, Nota Bene.

He spent three years in Asia as the APAC CEO of MEC. He has been with Wavemaker for the past seven years and is committed to positively provoking client growth. 

Vogel is passionate about the media industry and takes inspiration from developing great and diverse talent. He knows that great people create great work – and this is what clients want to grow their brands and businesses.

Wavemaker has actively embraced differences as part of its diversity, equity and inclusion. The agency encourages 100% of its people to bring 100% of their authentic selves to work 100% of the time.

Positive Provocation is Wavemaker’s uniting attitude, which is based on a belief that there is always a better way to grow. This applies to how they help grow clients’ brands and grow their people’s careers.

Pippa Berlocher

EssenceMediacom Australia, CEO

Berlocher boasts over 18 years of international industry experience spanning EMEA and Asia Pacific regions. She has a strong background in data-driven marketing and commerce and an uncompromising passion for delivering client excellence. She has led the growth and transformation of brands such as Amazon, Intel, J&J, Cisco, and Shangri-La.

She relocated back to Australia after being appointed in January 2023 to lead EssenceMediacom ANZ, bringing together the data, performance and platform excellence of Essence with the scale and strategy of MediaCom.

Commencing her new role as CEO in May 2023, Berlocher often describes EssenceMediacom as a 500+ start-up. She has brought her energetic and entrepreneurial skillset to the agency, single-mindedly focused on bringing two unique businesses together with the goal of proper integration and one culture.

Berlocher is a highly enthusiastic and passionate leader who takes immense pride in developing and nurturing teams to deliver exceptional work. Her role at EssenceMediacom has been to ensure the ongoing vision and direction of 500+ Essentials to deliver marketing breakthroughs for clients in the new communications economy.

Under her leadership, she has had an impressive impact on EssenceMediacom’s people, clients, partners and the business at large.

The agency recorded 6% revenue growth, winning  Specsavers and Google’s offline business. It has also retained Queensland Government and Uber, with EssenceMediacom Sydney appointed as Uber’s APAC central hub.

EssenceMediacom also has 19+ global and local award wins in 2024 for breakthrough client work and community partnership recognition such as Dolly’s Dream.

Laura Nice and Sian Whitnall

OMD Australia, co-chief executive officers

Nice is driven to deliver growth and service excellence for OMD’s clients. She proudly cites her leadership style as people first. Her international client service, data, and technology experience spans all major industry categories.

Nice is passionate about mentoring future leaders, recently speaking at the inaugural event for The Village, the industry’s community for working parents, alongside her involvement with the MFA5+ programs.

She is leading OMG’s involvement with Ad Net Zero as a founding member and is committed to delivering net zero carbon emissions by 2050 for the Australian media industry.

Whitnall, originally from the UK, has a background in digital and technology strategy and has worked with some of the world’s most recognisable brands.

She leverages this strategic product capability to evolve and shape OMD’s market-leading product offering to drive growth and business outcomes for the agency’s partners and people in an increasingly complex and competitive market.

As passionate as Whitnall is about OMD, she is equally passionate about being a force for positive change through the industry, mentoring future leaders, working within the IAB, MFA and AANA and most recently working with the MFA to launch their Psychosocial Safety initiative to evolve the Australian media landscape for the better.

OMD has actively focused on its people and culture over the years. The agency has been certified by Great Place to Work Australia for 16 consecutive years (2008 to 2023).

Mark Coad

IPG Mediabrands Australia, chief executive officer

Coad is widely considered by the media industry as “a great bloke and a smart thinker”.

He joined Omnicom Group in 2003, first as managing director of OMD Melbourne and later as CEO of OMD Australia, where he led the business to prominence. Coad was later CEO of the creative agency Clemenger Harvie Edge.

In 2012, he returned to the media as CEO of PHD Australia. Under his tenure, PHD Australia won multiple industry accolades. He joined IPG Mediabrands as CEO of Australia in February 2020, which includes Initiative, UM, Mediahub and Kinesso within the group. 

He spearheaded the industry’s first major transformation of automated systems, using robotic technology to automate repetitive manual tasks fully.

This has led to an enhanced career path for talent as they can focus on adding value with their strategic input and creativity, which has been adopted globally by IPG. 

This year has seen Coad dive back into the day-to-day leadership of agency life as he has double-hatted as CEO of Initiative Australia and New Zealand and CEO of IPG Mediabrands.

Coad is a people-focused leader determined to create the right outcomes for his team. As a result, many of his protégés have become the most in-demand professionals in the industry.

He holds industry Board positions on the MFA and ADMA, is a board director of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and is on the Board of Trustees of the Commando Welfare Trust. He is also a longstanding mentor for The Marketing Academy’s scholarship series.

Peter Horgan

Omnicom Media Group, chief executive officer

Horgan’s career in media agencies spans three decades across the UK and Australia. In 2016, he took the CEO role at Omnicom Media Group after eight years at the helm of OMD.

Horgan leads over 1,500 media and consultancy specialists across Australia & New Zealand and has been chairman of the Media Federation of Australia since 2014. He is also the only media agency representative on the AANA Board. 

Under his leadership, the business has grown steadily. He is committed to sustainable growth via continual investment in people and driving a performance culture across the group. At an industry level, Horgan has been a vocal champion of transparency and equitable commercial behaviour.

Michael Rebelo

CEO, Publicis Groupe ANZ 

Rebelo works with clients on their marketing and business transformation journey by bringing together the best of the Publicis Groupe capabilities and talent to help them solve their transformation challenges in fundamentally new ways by connecting creativity, media, technology and consulting.

Over the past 25 years, Rebelo’s international agency leadership experience has spanned re-building, re-purposing, starting up, acquiring and integrating agencies to deliver growth through creativity. He has helped advise clients, grow businesses and shape agency cultures across the UK, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Rebelo is chair of the Advertising Council Australia and a board member of the MFA. He has been a governor of the St George Foundation since 2020.

Publicis Groupe is a connected platform of companies and capabilities that delivers world-class solutions for its clients through the powerful alchemy of creativity, intelligence and technology.

In Australia and New Zealand, Publicis Groupe is the only holding company with operational, cultural, and capability models to deliver clients end-to-end marketing and digital business transformation solutions.

Its industry-leading agencies and business units include Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis Worldwide, PXP, Prodigious, Prodigious PLAY, Spark Foundry, Zenith, Starcom, PMX, Razorfish, Digitas, Publicis Sport & Entertainment, Herd MSL, Salterbaxter, Balance, Performics, Epsilon and Publicis Sapient. The company has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland and Wellington, employing over 1,900 professionals.

Aimee Buchanan

Chief executive officer, GroupM Australia & New Zealand

Buchanan is a driving force for positive change in the media industry, boasting over 20 years in the industry, solving big client challenges and building her team to agitate for change.

As CEO of GroupM Australia & New Zealand, she’s responsible for bringing to life GroupM’s purpose of being responsible for shaping the next era of media where advertising works better for People.

A client-focused leader with a strong track record, Buchanan believes in putting her team first and creating a thriving, positive culture, to deliver results. She has partnered with high-volume Blue-Chip global clients and some of Australia’s best-loved brands.

Buchanan is deeply committed to sustainability, spearheading Alpha, GroupM Australia’s holistic sustainability strategy. This initiative aims to drive the agency and its clients towards net zero goals through decarbonising media practices.

Under her leadership, GroupM has achieved the number-one spot on RECMA’s Qualitative Domestic Report, as EssenceMediacom, Wavemaker, and Mindshare secured the top three positions for new business results.

This comes from three years of consecutive growth across GroupM, which has grown circa 25% in topline growth over the past three years to 2024.

GroupM’s success under Buchanan extends beyond impressive rankings and many industry awards. She has also garnered significant recognition and accolades from the industry for leadership.