Credit: Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
A string of redundancies in Australia, as mergers and consolidations reshape the industry, has made it difficult for senior executives to find a new gig.
Recruiters advise those looking for the next role to adapt, stay connected and embrace change.
UM in April announced the departure of managing director Ben McCallum due to workforce restructuring and consolidation as IPG prepared to be taken over by Omnicom. He quickly found his feet and was recently made CEO of Cummins & Partners.
Danny Bass, chief revenue officer at marketing analytics company Mutinex, departed in September after just one year in the role. Before Mutinex, Bass was made redundant as CEO of Dentsu ANZ in April 2024 due to company-wide restructuring.
In the past 12 months just 400 senior positions were advertised -- 376 director-level and 24 senior management roles -- or around 33 jobs per month, according to research by Mercury Talent.
Despite a 17% year-on-year increase in director-level job ads, recruiters report that senior staff are harder to place.
Justin Randles, director at Mercury Talent, said prospects are “not great” for senior staff in the open market with internal staff typically considered first for open positions.
“So if you're a senior team leader based in Sydney who has lost their job because two teams were consolidated in a restructure and one manager had to go, there might be three to five jobs per month that fit your skillset,” he said.
According to some recruiters, brands have been shifting spend to indies and handling work in-house.
“Large clients look to move spend toward independents, specialist agencies or even internal,” said Dene Gambotto, founder and managing director at iknowwho.
“This has created a challenging landscape, particularly for mid–senior level agency talent, resulting in a candidate-rich market where competition for fewer roles is fierce.”
Simon Hadfield, founder of Prime Mover, agrees the industry favours independents. However, the hands-on nature of its leadership team often means fewer opportunities for senior staff coming from the larger companies.
“I think there's more and more independent or indie agencies floating to the top,” he said.
“They're led by some of the best talent in the market and they're hands on, so the layer below them is often one big step down.”
Hadfield also recognises the shift from a seller’s market, where staff were in high demand, to a buyer’s market, where employers are more selective about who they want.
While there is a pool of talent to choose from, the number of senior roles remains unchanged.
“So what this leads to is bigger companies looking at leaders and saying can we do better? Because it's a buoyant market to get talent,” said Hadfield.
Mikhaila Warburton, co-founder and director at nosundayblues, said opportunities for senior staff are “slim” with the advice to get proactive coming into the new year.
“We’re seeing a wave of senior leaders suddenly on the market from MDs, ECDs, CDs, people who have led some of Australia’s best agencies and brands,” she said.
“My LinkedIn DMs haven’t been this busy in years, but here’s the challenge: I simply don’t have anywhere to place them.
“In the meantime, the smartest move is to pivot: freelance, team up as micro creative squads, act as consultants, and plug directly into brands via your CMO networks.
“Another path is bolting onto agencies you have relationships with in a project capacity when the briefs land.”
Advice for looking for the next gig
Recruiters recommend embracing redundancy.
“Treat this period as an opportunity: refresh your personal brand, stay connected with your network, and remain visible to potential employers. Proactivity - whether through contract work, mentoring, or upskilling - often leads to unexpected opportunities,” said Dene Gambotto at iknowwho.
She also stressed the importance of senior staff upskilling on new technologies to set themselves apart.
“Senior talent may feel the squeeze from consolidation, but demand is still there for leaders who can drive digital, AI and CX transformation. My advice: stay visible, leverage networks, and consider adjacent industries where marketing skills are in demand,” she said.
Justin Randles also encouraged people to diversify the roles they are applying for and leverage previous work experience.
“Think about adjacent industries - if you've worked for say, an IT publishing ad sales team for a few years you probably know the IT industry pretty well which would help you succeed in a tech sales role,” said Randles.
“One executive I know had a great career in agencies, marketing and media who started his own mortgage broking business. Sometimes you need to think outside the box,” he said.
Simon Hadfield said redundancy isn’t always met with the same negative attitudes and for some is a “blessing in disguise”.
However, he also encouraged staff who want to stay in the industry to plan ahead saying “there is a lack of planning for inevitable” with the message to “just adapt and continue to educate and learn”.
“Good people, talented people will, will always find the next thing,” he said.
Mikhaila Warburton says senior staff need to prioritise visibility in the job market.
“There’s no sugarcoating it, it’s a tough moment, especially for senior leaders. Get along to events like SXSW, chat to recruiters, lock in those walks and talks with creative leaders, get visible on LinkedIn. You are going to have to do all the things and..... be patient,” said Warburton.
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