Dentsu has appointed BWM Isobar’s Tim Powell in the newly created role of chief PR officer ANZ.
Powell will lead the PR side as the company plans to build a more integrated offering.
Kirsty Muddle, Dentsu Creative CEO ANZ, said the remit of the new chief PR role will be to drive deeper connections across company’s capability, clients and strengthen Dentsu’s influencer marketing, BR and behaviour change offering.
She said: “We are in the business of transforming brands, businesses, and society through the power of creativity. PR is both the oldest and the most modern force in communication and, an important power for us.
“Tim is a highly experienced and respected person in the PR industry, and he will lead the charge of ensuring PR is an integrated part of our solutions for both clients and for the world,” she added.
Powell brings more than 30 years of experience to the role across journalism, politics, corporate affairs and PR. He also sits on the Board of the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence and has an interest in sustainability.
During his time at BWM Isobar, Powell led dentsu’s Australian PR offering, which included Haystac dentsu, Cox Inall dentsu, as well as First Nation’s business Cox Inall Ridgeway.
Before joining the company, he spent more than 20 years at Cox Inall Communications, as group account director and then managing director.
Powell said of the appointment: “The task is to elevate this capability to the next level as part of an integrated dentsu offer across ANZ and create new opportunities for our 70-plus staff in the PR business.
“Angela Tangas and Muddle have brought some incredible people into our business in the past few months.
“Having a Chief PRO at the table with the likes of our chief strategy officer David Halter, chief client officer Gayle While and the CEO of Dentsu Solutions Chris Bower, and with our ECD Marcus Tesoriero, has made an immediate difference to our business and our thinking.
“While creativity is at our core, clients are increasingly requiring deep thinking on reputation and regulatory risk, long term sustainability and making a real difference to the planet and people is baked into every idea. It’s part of us, as a business, knowing people better than anyone else and evolving our product as a result,” said Powell.