Ryan O’Connell has resigned from Ogilvy Sydney as its chief strategy officer after more than 11 years with the agency.
O’Connell, a highly regarded strategist in the region, spearheaded Ogilvy’s effectiveness record, including multiple Agency of the Year awards at the APAC Effies, a Global Grand Effie in 2021 and Effective Advertiser of the Year at the 2023 Australian Effies with KFC Australia.
O’Connell will leave Ogilvy this month. He called his departure from the agency a “bittersweet moment” and said that he was excited for his next chapter. He joked: “I just couldn’t stand working with Michelle anymore. She’s too nice. And taller than me.”
O’Connell’s next move will be to lead a new independent agency, which will be formally announced soon.
Michelle Holland, Ogilvy Sydney’s managing director, called O’Connell a “valuable member of our team” and a “great example” of the agency’s “approach to fostering great talent”
“His understanding of how best to solve business problems and apply great strategy to generate effective, creative and long-term results has been an inspiration to the Sydney strategy team and beyond.
“He leaves behind a strong legacy and a strategy team well-versed in his approach. He’ll be missed – but always a friend of the agency and part of the Ogilvy family,” she added.
Ogilvy is currently evaluating its strategic resources and unveil the senior structure of the strategy team in due course.
News of O’Connell’s departure comes after Ogilvy kicked off 2024 with the launch of a Subway Socceroos’ brand campaign ahead of the Doha for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.
The team’s new brand platform, ‘A Different Breed’, follows the Socceroos’ identity cultivated over many generations and how the journey has shaped the current squad. It shows how the Socceroos have inspired a nation and galvanised the football community through their many on-field exploits.
Read more: Socceroos and Ogilvy Australia team up for ‘A Different Breed’ campaign