Tom Ward has been appointed as executive director of The Lab.
He joins the independent cultural insight and strategy agency in Melbourne following seven years at Cummins & Partners as chief strategy officer.
Ward is an accomplished leader and strategist, having held positions as managing director at Naked Communications and head of strategy and insight at George Patterson Y&R.
He joins The Lab’s already strong executive team to help drive the future of the business and keep it ahead of trends in marketing and communications and solidifies The Lab’s position as a true insight and strategy agency.
The Lab co-founder and CEO, Neale Cotton, said: “We view research as a means to an end, an opportunity to take a leap in the way we or our clients think.
“We focus on translating opportunities, through human-centric strategy, so brands can take advantage of our rapidly changing society and stay ahead of change.
“Tom’s appointment doubles down on our strategic DNA. He is a sharp thinker and creative problem solver. We’ve worked with Tom for years and he’s a perfect cultural fit. We couldn’t be more excited for him to join The Lab family,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ward said of his appointment: “I’m delighted to join the brilliant brains at The Lab, a place that I’ve always admired and have worked closely with since I moved to Australia 15 years ago.
“My experience with them has shown me that they are always more than a research partner; they are genuine strategic partners for marketers and agencies in getting to game-changing thinking for brands. I’m excited to be a part of that and to join the team,” he added.
This comes after The Lab expanded its executive team with three senior staff promotions last September.
In Sydney, Elaine Dubost was promoted to executive director, Katie Lucas to head of futures, while in Melbourne, Rebecca Brody assumed the leadership of The Lab’s Australia Project, an always-on cultural insight program that illuminates the emerging socio-cultural forces shaping Australia.