Business growth consultancy 24 Hour Business Plan (24HRBP) has appointed industry leader Mark Coad as Partner and Senior Advisor.
In his previous outing, Coad was made redundant in the shake-up following Omnicom’s adoption of Interpublic Group, alongside Leigh Terry, in December.
In his new role, Coad will work with the firm alongside his broader portfolio of consulting and board roles, marking what 24HRBP describes as a strategic milestone for its local operations.
Founder comments
Coad brings more than 30 years of experience across Australia’s media and marketing sector, having led some of the country’s most influential agency networks and advised major brands and boards through periods of transformation and growth.
Founder Andrew ‘Billy’ Baxter said Coad’s appointment reflects both the consultancy’s ambitions and increasing client demand for practical, senior-level guidance.
“Mark is one of the most experienced and respected leaders the media industry has ever produced,” Baxter said.
“Mark brings deep strategic thinking, proven leadership at scale and an unrivalled understanding of how organisations grow, adapt and perform under pressure. His decision to work with us is an endorsement of our model and where we are headed.”
Coad comments
As part of the partnership, Coad will work closely with 24HRBP’s Australian team across strategy, leadership, governance and performance, with a focus on delivering the firm’s 4x six-hour workshop planning framework.
Coad said the firm’s practical, outcomes-driven approach was central to his decision to join.
“What attracted me to work with 24HRBP is its focus on real-world impact,” he said.
“This is not advisory in theory, it’s about helping leaders solve real problems, quickly and effectively and build their businesses for growth.”
A track record of transformation
Most recently, Coad served as CEO of IPG Mediabrands Australia, where he led a major automation transformation using robotic technology to streamline repetitive processes work later adopted globally by IPG.
Prior to that, he held senior leadership roles within Omnicom Group, including Managing Director of OMD Melbourne and CEO of OMD Australia. He later served as CEO of Clemenger Harvie Edge before returning to media as CEO of PHD Australia.
Beyond agency leadership, Coad has held board positions with the Media Federation of Australia (MFA) and ADMA, is a Board Director of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and sits on the Board of Trustees of the Commando Welfare Trust.
He is also a longstanding mentor for The Marketing Academy’s scholarship program.
Demand for recurring strategy discipline
24HRBP said data from nearly 60 organisations that have completed its structured strategic planning process shows 85% reported revenue growth in the first full financial year following implementation.
Organisations that treated strategy as an ongoing discipline rather than a one-off exercise reported an average year-on-year growth rate of 22%, compounding annually.
Baxter said Coad’s affiliation reinforces the firm’s focus on building a senior advisory team with hands-on leadership experience.
“If you are running a medium-sized enterprise through to a major company of 1000+ people, there is no better advisor than Mark to partner with to create a strategic business plan geared for growth,” Baxter said.
Top Image: Mark Coad and Andrew Baxter