David Griffiths.
Independent creative agency Hello has appointed David Griffiths managing director.
The appointment follows last week's hire of WPP executive Caroline Berdayes as chief financial & operating officer.
Griffiths brings more than 20 years' experience leading brands, agencies and commercial growth across the Asia-Pacific region.
His career spans both agency and client leadership, beginning at global agency iris, where he served as managing partner.
He later moved client-side, holding senior director and head of marketing roles at Uber, Stan and Samsung.
Griffiths will lead Hello's creative agency and integrated offering, working alongside director of social & talent Ben Stavert to further unite the agency's strategy, creative, social, influencer, events, production, PR and media & measurement capabilities.
Hello CEO Sam Kelly said Griffiths' appointment reflects the agency's continued investment in building an integrated creative company for the digital era.
"David is one of those rare leaders who has built brands from the inside and outside,” said Kelly.
“He's sat in the boardroom making marketing investment decisions, and he's led agency teams responsible for delivering the work. That perspective is incredibly valuable in today's market, where clients expect partners to understand both commercial realities and creative ambition.
"Throughout his career, David has consistently built high-performing teams, grown businesses and helped both challenger and category-leading brands solve meaningful commercial challenges. He's an exceptional operator with a rare ability to raise standards, develop people and create environments where teams do the best work of their careers.
“Just as importantly, David shares our belief that the future belongs to agencies capable of solving bigger business problems, not just delivering campaigns. His leadership will strengthen our culture, deepen our client partnerships and elevate the quality of thinking and creativity across the agency, helping us deliver work that creates lasting commercial impact."
Griffiths said the opportunity to join Hello came at a time when the industry was being fundamentally reshaped.
"The lines between creativity, social, media, creators, production and technology have all but disappeared. Clients don't need more specialist agencies; they need partners who can bring those capabilities together to solve bigger business problems.
"What attracted me to Hello was its ambition and its willingness to challenge the traditional agency model. The business has built an incredible reputation across social, content, earned and influencer marketing, and now has the opportunity to become one of Australia's leading integrated creative agencies.
"I've always believed the best agencies create environments where people do the best work of their careers. When you combine talented people with the right culture, clear ambition and deep client partnerships, career-defining work follows—for our people, our clients and ultimately the agency.
"I'm excited to bring my experience to Hello, but equally excited to learn from the exceptional team already here. My role is to help unlock that potential, build on what's already been created and lead the next chapter of growth."
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