Credit: Colony
Independent agency group Colony has appointed Ben Coulson creative partner and Lu Vardy strategy partner.
Coulson and Vardy join managing partner Dominic Walsh and group account director May Graff in Sydney, as Colony continues to build its national presence.
The moves reflect Colony's "New World" model, which connects clients with senior specialists through a flexible structure built around entrepreneurial thinking, deep expertise and hybrid ways of working, regardless of geography or traditional agency structures.
Colony founder and executive director Matt McCarthy said the appointments mark a milestone in the agency's Sydney strategy.
"We've been deliberate about Sydney. We wanted to bring together the right people and build from there,” McCarthy said.
“When you combine the experience of Ben and Lu with Dom and May, you've got a seriously strong leadership team with the ambition to build something different.”
Coulson has held senior creative leadership roles including ANZ chief creative officer positions at Dentsu, McCann, Clemenger and VML, working across categories and brands in Australia and New Zealand.
Vardy has almost three decades of experience across brand, communications and customer experience strategy, including senior roles at Virgin TBWA, Y&R and McCann, spanning technology, financial services, government, health, placemaking and major consumer brands.
Coulson said the chance to help shape a modern independent agency group drew him to Colony.
"The industry is being tipped upside down right now. I want to make the kind of work needed for the new world. Colony is well placed for that, with real scale and capability combined with the pace and flexibility of an ambitious independent," Coulson said.
Vardy said Colony's model puts senior practitioners closer to client challenges.
"Colony's model puts experienced people closer to the problem, helping unpack client challenges on a deeper level to develop enduring strategies. That approach sits at the heart of Colony's Futures Thinking model," Vardy said.
McCarthy said Colony's ambition is to build an Australian independent challenger with the scale and capability to compete with major agency groups while keeping the agility, entrepreneurial mindset and hands-on client focus of an independent business.
The group expects further announcements in coming months as it invests in people, capabilities and its presence across key Australian markets.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.