It's hard to keep up with all the latest moves across media, marketing and advertising, so we've made a list. Check out the biggest moves in adland this week:
Y&R managing director Matt Farrugia exits
Y&R has confirmed this week managing director Matt Farrugia has resigned from the business. Y&R said Farrugia resigned two months ago, prior to news Y&R and VML would merge. However, when AdNews approach Y&R about Farrugia's departure two weeks ago, the WPP-owned agency said he remained as the managing director. The agency then later confirmed the move to Mumbrella. Farrugia joined Y&R as managing director in 2010. He has previously held roles at Wunderman, Cummins&Partners and WeAreDigital. His departure comes just weeks after the exit of Y&R managing partner Julian Bell who left to join Clemenger.
Zenith stocks up Melbourne team
CEO Nickie Scriven has appointed Joshua Lee to head of digital for Zenith Melbourne. Lee was previously group investment director with Amplifi, the media investment arm of Dentsu Aegis. He has more than nine years experience in media communications, working in Australia and Canada in digital media, business development, client relationship management and account management. Lee joined the Dentsu Aegis network in 2013 as digital director of the Huckleberry Agency in Melbourne, before moving to Toronto as Amnet director of client services and senior director of digital investments and programmatic. He has also worked in digital roles at Neo@Ogilvy and Havas Media. Lee’s appointment follows the recent promotion of Mark Johnson to be head of digital for Zenith in Sydney.
PHD hires new head of content and social
Joanne Liddell is now the head of content and social at PHD encompassing responsibility for PHD’s content, partnerships and social nationally. Liddell has both agency and client experience, including more than six years within the Omnicom network, where she later was head of Fuse Sydney at OMD. For the last five years she has been working in a variety of roles across creative content and event agencies. In addition, Christian Heath has been promoted to content and partnerships director. Heath will report to Liddell and will be working on accounts such as VWG, Unilever and HP.
New blood Vampre joins Deloitte Digital
Gustavo Vampre has joined Deloitte Digital Australia as creative director. Vampre will report into chief creative officer Matt Lawson and will be working alongside Charles Baylis. His career includes multiple award-winning campaigns for Defence Force Recruiting, ‘The Riderless Bike’ for The Steve Waugh Foundation, ‘Where’s My Wallet’ for the Commonwealth Bank, ‘The Art of Noise’ for the Noise International, and ‘Palau Pledge’ for Palau Legacy Project. Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, he has worked extensively with brands including Nike, Google, Moët Hennessy, Electrolux, Lexus, Qantas, Optus and Telstra.
Fresh greens for Spinach
Spinach has hired Ben Wilson to the newly created position group account director. Wilson is a retail specialist, having worked both the client side and at agencies including Wilson Everard and J Walter Thompson. He has been recruited to run the Liquorland business which Spinach won in July. This change has come as a result of recent growth.
Hardhat grows strategy offering and Sydney presence
Hardhat has appointed Lani Cush as strategy lead for its Melbourne offices and senior account director as Alexander Harrison moves to Sydney in hopes of accelerating the agency’s northward expansion. Cush joins Hardhat with a diverse background, having spent time at creative agencies including AJF Partnership, media agency Carat as well as roles client side. Harrison’s office switch is in response to the growth of Hardhat’s Sydney-based clients, including Bupa, Steggles, Lilydale and Pace Farm and signals a focus on building the agency offering outside of Victoria.
Account growth for Indago Digital
Indago Digital has expanded its client base with the addition of SEO accounts Travelex, Real Insurance and the Australian Institute of Management. Foreign exchange company Travelex decentralised parts of its Australian and New Zealand marketing team away from London and as part of that localisation decided to tender for an SEO agency. In addition, Indago Digital won the SEO account for Real Insurance in a pitch. Real Insurance is co-owned by The Hollard Insurance Company Pty Ltd and Greenstone Financial Services Pty Ltd. The agency has been working with Hollard on its paid search business for the past six months and this is an extension of the services it provides to Hollard. Completing the business expansion the Australian Institute of Management (AIM), also joins Indago which provides corporate training for individuals and organisations.
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