Mediaweek’s Media Agency 50, 2025

Lucy Formosa Morgan

MAGNA (IPG Mediabrands), Managing Director

Lucy Formosa Morgan has continued to lead MAGNA through a period of evolving media investment, intelligence and partnerships, reinforcing its role as a strategic pillar within IPG Mediabrands.

Formosa Morgan leads three business units: Product & Innovation; Centralised Buying; and Intelligence Solutions. Her role demands a fusion of forward-looking investment thinking, operational excellence, and strategic alignment across complex multi-agency environments.

She has been instrumental in negotiating partner relationships, strengthening the tools and frameworks used for trading, and aligning investment decisions more closely with client outcomes rather than purely price or reach metrics.

She has helped evolve MAGNA’s thinking and offerings amid rapidly shifting consumer behaviour and complex media ecosystems. She has focused on adapting models of trading, investing in intelligence and tech capability, and ensuring that MAGNA can respond to both risk and opportunity without losing standard of execution.

Asier Carazo

Atomic 212°, Chief Strategy Officer

Asier Carazo, Chief Strategy Officer has helped the agency achieve success year with a disruptive” approach that has resulted in impressive campaigns, business wins, and retentions.

Under Carazo’s strategic contributions, Atomic 212 has grown from strength to strength with many new business wins such as GWM, BlueScope Australia, NT Major Events Company, Darrell Lea, and My Muscle Chef.

The agency’s most notable retentions are Bupa, now in its fifth year, and Tourism Northern Territory, now in its ninth year.

Carazo was also at the helm of the launch of the agency’s new report, Deeper Than Attention, using the agency’s market research platform, Sonar, alongside Strategy Director Sam Bessell.

For Carazo, advocating for DEI in media strategy has been a priority for DEI particularly as a member of MFA’s DEI Advisory Council.

He is also developing up and coming talent at Atomic 212° and wider industry particularly in the strategy space.

Louise Romeo

Starcom Australia, Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer, Louise Romeo has redefined how operational excellence drives client performance at Starcom Australia.

Over the past year, she has led national transformation projects that strengthen collaboration between investment, operations, and client teams, improving efficiency, agility, and delivery across the business.

Romeo’s leadership balances process and people. She has championed curiosity, reskilling, and wellbeing as core cultural values, ensuring Starcom remains adaptable amid market change.

Working alongside newly appointed CEO Matt Houltham, Romeo continues to anchor Starcom’s evolution, proving that strong operations and empowered teams are the foundation of sustainable client success.

Daniel Cutrone

Avenue C, Managing Partner, Media

Daniel Cutrone has driven Avenue C to accelerate its growth, sharpen its media offering, and position itself among the independent agencies making real waves.

As Managing Partner, he has been pivotal in setting investment strategy, negotiating complex deals, and steering the agency’s approach to full-funnel media thinking.

The independent agency has won significant pieces of business including the AMP media account in June 2025 through a competitive full-funnel pitch. He has also been vocal about the importance of integrating strategic, performance and brand outcomes.

Cutrone supports an environment in which the team that works on pitches is also responsible for activation and optimisation, which fosters ownership, accountability, and consistency.

He frequently advocates for improving media outcomes, bettering audio and out-of-home inventory strategy and pushing for outcome-based metrics rather than simply traditional reach or impressions.

Fiona Johnston

dentsu, Chief Executive Officer – Client, Media and Commercial

Fiona Johnston has led dentsu’s client, media and commercial businesses through a period of realignment, growth and cultural renewal.

Under her leadership the group reorganised for a more streamlined model, reinforcing alignment across media brands and delivering a sharper go-to-market posture.

She has pushed the agency’s media business to be both values-driven and data-powered. Johnston has emphasised investment in tools, automation, AI-driven media buying and measurement capability under her remit.

Johnston has driven simplified P&L models, reinforced commercial discipline, and encouraged more frequent review cycles to ensure the business can pivot when needed amid challenging client spend conditions, economic headwinds, and rapidly evolving media technology and behaviour.

She is also an advocate of ethics, simplicity and social purpose in media, and believes clients’ investments should be handled with care and integrity.

Amy Carr

Yango, General Manager of Growth

Amy Carr has stepped into a newly created growth leadership role at Yango, bringing over 15 years of media and agency experience and a strong track record in new business, client partnership, and expanding offerings.

Carr oversees the agency’s new business initiatives, enhancing its profile in-market, and identifying new client opportunities and client-centric decision-making.

Under her leadership, Yango has embraced a full-service media model, expanding into SEO, content, creator strategy and cross-channel media planning and buying. Recent wins under this growth remit include Amber Tiles, BYD, CBHS Health, Frasers Property Industrial, Toby’s Estate, Actor Pharma, and Scape Student Living.

Her role in growth is emerging at a vital moment as Yango expands its service remit and the broadening of its media toolkit signal readiness to respond to client expectations, rising demands for agility, measurement and creativity.

Mitch Long

Chief Strategy Officer, Havas

Since joining Havas Media Network in 2024, Mitch Long has reshaped its strategic vision around integration and impact.

He has embedded the Converged operating model across media, data and creative teams and helped launch the Aussie Futures 2025 report linking consumer values to brand growth.

Long has simplified strategy products, introducing training that aligns planning, investment and analytics under shared client objectives. His leadership has helped Havas win new assignments and strengthen long-term partnerships by connecting purpose to performance.

A recognised voice for authentic strategy in a tech-driven market, Long is defining how Australian agencies translate insight into outcome, and why strategy remains the most valuable differentiator in 2025.

Ori Gold

Bench Media, CEO and Co-Founder

Ori Gold spent 2024 and 2025 scaling Bench Media while retaining its independent heart. He expanded Bench Connect into retail media, SEO and offline channels and rolled out AI-powered planning tools that deliver real-time cross-channel analysis.

Bench added 11 new clients across health, education and FMCG and posted 11 per cent year-on-year revenue growth. Gold’s people-first philosophy shows in Bench’s 8.4 happiness rating and +22 NPS. He continues to mentor rising leaders and contribute to industry panels advocating for transparency and ethical growth.

As co-founder and owner, Gold embodies accountability with purpose – building a business where innovation and integrity drive every client outcome.

Penelope Shell

Chief Strategy & Product Officer, Zenith Australia Strategy

Since joining Zenith in 2024, Penny Shell has helped redefine the agency’s purpose and product, driving innovation and cohesion across the business.

She co-created the national purpose for The ROI Agency, introducing frameworks such as ROI Connect, Planning Fundamentals and the Imagination Scorecard, tools now embedded across Zenith’s client teams.

Shell has led a cultural reset across strategy and planning, promoting internal talent, building collaboration through the cross-functional Prod Squad, and ensuring 80 per cent adoption of best-practice planning templates.

Her leadership has strengthened client partnerships and helped drive new business wins and retentions across key categories including retail, travel, and FMCG.

Beyond her agency role, Shell is a recognised industry voice and advocate for responsible media. She co-developed a social-media responsibility framework with Professor Gemma Sharp, presented through AimCO and WeAre8, and served as a Non-Executive Director of the Butterfly Foundation, raising more than $120,000 for mental-health initiatives.

Her work continues to demonstrate how strategy, culture, and social impact can be tightly connected to business growth.

Joel Trethowan

Alchemy One, Managing Director and Co-Founder

In 2025, Joel Trethowan kept Alchemy One at the forefront of ethical media investment. He retained flagship clients including Bank Australia and Square and strengthened the agency’s B Corp commitment to sustainable growth.

Trethowan has focused on selective client partnerships and values-led growth, ensuring independence never compromises scale. Alchemy One’s flat structure and collaborative culture allow junior and senior talent to work side by side on impactful campaigns.

A vocal advocate through Comms Declare and industry forums, Trethowan continues to push for responsible media spend and climate accountability. His 2024–25 leadership proves that independence and ethics can build lasting commercial results.

Jessica White

Kinesso, Chief Executive Officer

Jessica White has guided Kinesso through a critical transformation, unifying data, adtech, media, and performance under a cohesive, outcome-driven proposition.

Under her leadership, Kinesso merged the capabilities of Reprise, Matterkind and Kinesso to deliver more holistic performance solutions.

In the past year, White has led Kinesso into new commerce media frontiers, becoming a launch partner in the Afterpay + Yahoo DSP initiative, a move connecting physical retail and digital advertising in more measurable ways.

She continues to reinforce internal investment, introducing training prescriptions that deliver customised upskilling, and ensuring development is integral to performance.

White champions a client-centric philosophy: she argues that marketers don’t care about agency silos, only about outcome. Her public commentary emphasizes accountability, data-led innovation, and purpose as foundations for the modern performance agency.

Anathea Ruys

UM Australia, Chief Executive Officer

In late 2024, Anathea Ruys introduced UM’s Full Colour Media philosophy. This was a new framework encouraging brands to think beyond traditional ROI metrics toward creativity and meaningful impact.

Early in 2025, UM won the King Living global media account, led from Australia under Ruys’s guidance. She balanced this success with the public Optus pitch loss, earning respect for transparent and steady leadership during change.

Ruys joined both the MFA Board and Wheelchair Rugby Australia Board, championing diversity and community representation.

Her focus on team development, inclusion and client trust continues to define UM as one of Australia’s most progressive media agencies.

Phil McDonald

BCM Group, CEO and Owner

In August 2025, Phil McDonald transitioned to Group CEO as BCM expanded under a new leadership structure.

The move reflected his commitment to growth and succession at one of Australia’s longest-running independent agencies.

BCM achieved nearly 20 per cent revenue growth through FY25, adding clients such as Queensland Police and Griffith University, and continuing global work on Messi Fragrances.

McDonald also introduced Search Works and Impact Lens, proprietary tools reshaping search and effectiveness tracking for the AI era.

His ‘Creating Space for Growth’ ethos drives BCM’s culture of flexibility, wellbeing and shared success.

As Vice-Chair of the IMAA, McDonald has championed independent excellence and industry wellbeing. In 2025, his leadership continues to prove that independence and innovation can scale together.

Simon Rutherford

Slingshot Media, Partner and CEO  

In 2025, Simon Rutherford secured a string of new business wins – including Novo Nordisk, Dry July Foundation and Wicked Sister – broadening Slingshot’s reach across health, consumer and social impact brands.

He also oversaw the continued integration of creative arm onesmoothstone to deliver seamless content and media solutions.

Rutherford has kept Slingshot consistently ranked among Australia’s Best Places to Work, investing in leadership development, mental health programs and flexibility initiatives that have strengthened retention and culture.

An advocate for independent thinking, he speaks widely on agility and human-centred leadership in a technology-driven market. In 2024-25, Rutherford proved that a values-led culture and strategic discipline can deliver enduring growth for independent agencies.

Stephen Fisher

Hatched Media, Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer

In 2025, Stephen “Stevo” Fisher led Hatched through a period of purposeful, values-driven growth. He refined the agency’s client focus toward brands that align with its mission to be agents of positive change.

Under his leadership, the agency rolled out its proprietary identity solution HatchedID, expanded capability in SEO, SEM, influencer marketing and advisory, and embedded performance-related incentive programs that directly link Hatched’s success to its clients’ results.

Recent account wins across travel, FMCG, health and retail further underline the agency’s growing influence, alongside the successful reintegration of long-standing client Movember.

Fisher has made culture a commercial advantage. Hatched’s inclusion in the AFR Best Places to Work 2024 reflects its people-first approach,  enhanced parental leave, celebration leave, flexible work and a Shadow Board of emerging leaders keep the agency connected, diverse and future-focused.

As both CEO and Managing Partner, Fisher balances short-term performance with long-term independence.

Sue Squillace

Attivo ANZ & Mediahub ANZ, CEO

Sue Squillace has guided both Attivo and Mediahub through a year of significant transformation and growth, redefining how integrated media and creative agencies collaborate across Australia and New Zealand.

Her vision has been to ensure media sits at the strategic centre of every brief, aligning creativity, commerce, and connection from the outset.

In 2025, Squillace oversaw the evolution of Mediahub into a standalone full-service media agency within the Attivo network, expanding operations in Sydney, Perth and Auckland.

Under her leadership, Mediahub strengthened client relationships across consumer, technology, and public sectors and expanded partnerships across APAC through a new Sydney-based regional hub.

She also advanced an in-housing model that enables clients to integrate agency expertise and proprietary tools within their own ecosystems.

Internally, Squillace has reshaped Mediahub’s leadership to achieve gender parity and increase ethnic diversity at senior and entry levels. She has driven cultural initiatives across Attivo that prioritise wellbeing, flexibility, and development.

A long-time advocate for diversity, inclusion and mental-health awareness, Squillace continues her industry impact through advisory and charitable work, including her ongoing leadership with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Fundraising Committee.

Melissa Fein, Chris Colter & Sam Geer

Accenture Song Media, Leadership team

It’s rare for three leaders to be recognised together, but in 2024-2025, Melissa Fein, Sam Geer and Chris Colter have operated as one of the most effective and talked-about leadership trios in Australian media.

After departing Initiative as a team, they built Accenture Song Media from the ground up, combining consulting, creativity and media under a single, integrated offer that has redefined what a media agency can be.

Together, they developed the vision, structure and culture for a new kind of model. This is one that rejects opaque trading and prioritises transparency, tech integration and responsible investment.

Their collective leadership was validated with one of the most significant account moves of the year: Optus, secured through a full-service pitch alongside Droga5.

The win not only placed Accenture Song firmly on the media map, it signalled the arrival of a serious new contender in the Australian market.

Fein has led the commercial and operational blueprint across APAC; Geer has driven agency identity, growth and client engagement; and Colter has shaped the strategic and cultural foundations.

This leadership trio stands out for building a model that challenges category boundaries and points to the next era of media leadership.

Matt Turl

Spark Foundry Australia, CEO

In mid-2024, Matt Turl took the helm at Spark Foundry amidst turbulent industry conditions. From day one, he moved to break down silos — placing media, data, technology and analytics under a unified P&L structure. This approach has helped Spark respond with speed, alignment and sharper client solutions.

Turl has double-downed on client trust, reinforcing relationships with long-term partners like HCF, Australian Super, Peters Ice Cream and Royal Caribbean. He credits their resilience to adaptability — letting Spark fine-tune strategy mid-flight as client needs evolve. During 2025, he has also grown Spark’s internal analytics capability (now ~30 analysts strong) to support measurement, optimization and transparency.

On culture and capability, Turl has upheld diversity, internal promotion, and flexibility. Spark is increasingly leveraging Publicis Groupe’s “connected platform” model, enabling cross-discipline collaboration while retaining a startup agility.

In an era of measurement disruption, Turl’s leadership stands out for combining structural boldness, client-centric trust, and technical depth — proving that in 2024–25, media leadership still hinges on clarity, coherence, and partnership.

Simon Rush

JOY, Principal and Co-Founder

Simon Rush has guided JOY through one of the most pivotal periods in its history, strengthening the agency’s leadership, capability, and market position.

In 2025, he led the appointment of Peter Horgan as Group CEO and Co-Principal which was a major coup and underscored JOY’s ambition to scale while staying proudly independent.

Under Rush’s leadership with Horgan, JOY has secured high-profile new business including Picklebet and Mecca.

He has focused on building a leadership bench that unites creative, digital, and performance disciplines, bringing in senior specialists Philip Pollock, Matthew Keegan, and Des Odell to drive innovation and data-driven decision-making across the business.

Rush continues to evolve JOY’s model around agility, accountability, and values. His emphasis on culture, trust, and purpose has positioned the agency as a standard-bearer for how independents can grow with both confidence and conscience.

Nick Behr

Kaimera, CEO and Founder

Since 2016, Nick Behr has led Kaimera from boutique independent to one of Australia’s most dynamic media agencies.

Under his leadership, the agency secured major wins in 2025 including Nando’s, Comfort Group’s Sleepyhead and Sleepmaker, Taylors Wines’ first rebrand in 50 years and SXSW 2025, signalling confidence in Kaimera’s strategic, insights-driven approach.

Behr has balanced ambition with scalability, expanding Kaimera’s footprint while investing in internal strength, reinforcing a “grow from within” culture.

Behr continues working closely with Melbourne GM Garth Moring to sharpen operations and execution.

He has positioned Kaimera as a challenger with edge, embedding digital, data, performance, and brand thinking.

In 2024–25, Behr’s leadership underscores how an independent can scale thoughtfully, combining client impact, operational discipline, team growth, and values to make a distinct mark.

Simon Ryan

RyanCap, Founder and CEO

Since RyanCap’s acquisition by Labelium in 2023, Simon Ryan has steered the agency into its next growth phase, expanding capability, reinforcing identity, and deepening global ties while preserving local agility.

Under his leadership, the Employee Paris Immersion Program launched in 2025, sending top talent to Paris to align culture, capability and innovation across the broader group.

Ryan has also leveraged the Labelium partnership to expand RyanCap’s service breadth: social commerce, influencer marketing, data & tech performance, and deeper consulting integration now complement its media offering.

He continues to emphasise that RyanCap’s strength lies in being a solution-based, fast-moving business for clients, avoiding red tape and focusing on outcome.

Chris Parker

Awaken, Founder and CEO

In 2024, Chris Parker led Awaken into its tenth year as one of Australia’s most resilient and progressive independent agencies.

Over the past 12 months, he has expanded the agency’s client base with new partnerships including Smeg, Ray White, The Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, Blooms Hearing, and WS Audiology, while strengthening long-term relationships with clients such as Panasonic Australia, Proximo Spirits, and Opal Healthcare.

Parker has evolved Awaken’s model beyond traditional media, investing in innovation, technology, and data to help clients adapt to shifting consumer behaviour.

Under his direction, Awaken is preparing to launch Awaken Brands, a direct-to-consumer retail and lifestyle venture designed to expand the agency’s creative and commercial capabilities.

Taylor Fielding

TFM Digital, CEO

Taylor Fielding continues to lead TFM Digital through a period of rapid growth, positioning the agency as Australia’s specialist in franchise and multi-location marketing.

Over the past year, TFM has expanded across Brisbane and Sydney, with plans for Melbourne underway, reflecting its ambition to be the country’s leading independent in the category.

Under Fielding’s leadership, the agency has achieved significant year-on-year growth and welcomed a wave of new clients including Price Attack, Ausbuild, and MS Queensland, while strengthening long-term relationships with Eureka Furniture, Healthia, and Retail Food Group.

TFM has also expanded its service pillars across automation, creative, and AI solutions, maintaining strong client retention and measurable impact.

Fielding’s leadership philosophy centres on people and purpose. He has introduced structured leadership pathways, employee equity programs, and the TFM Summit, an annual off-site focused on collaboration, wellbeing, and culture.

A recognised voice for independent agencies and franchise marketing, Fielding continues to champion transparency, sustainability, and innovation, proving that growth and culture can thrive side by side.

Marelle Salib

Omnicom Media Group, Chief Media Partnerships Officer

Promoted in April 2025 after 14 years at OMD, Marelle Salib now leads OMG Australia’s media partnerships, trading and accountability functions and sits on the OMG Australia Executive Committee.

She oversees national investment standards and partner governance across the group’s agencies, shaping how media investment and commercial relationships deliver measurable client outcomes.

Salib has modernised OMG’s media operations by productising partnership models, introducing automation and clearer decision rights, and reducing manual reporting time by more than 30 per cent.

Her work has streamlined contracting, created consistent measurement frameworks, and lifted accountability between clients and media owners.

She balances commercial discipline with people development, formalising training, structured mentoring and career pathways that have significantly improved promotion and retention rates within OMG’s investment community.

A respected voice for transparency and industry ethics, Salib uses her platform to promote standardised reporting and responsible media trading.

Her 2024 – 25 impact reflects a rare blend of commercial rigour and human-centred leadership, advancing OMG’s market position.

Liz Wigmore

Hearts & Science Australia, Managing Director

In 2024 and 2025, Liz Wigmore guided the agency through two major mergers, with Foundation and Resolution Media, uniting three businesses under one vision without a single client loss.

Amid industry headwinds, Hearts delivered growth and stability while embedding a culture of trust and collaboration built around what she calls “the Power of the Ampersand”: strategy & emotion, transformation & trust.

Under Wigmore’s leadership, the agency achieved positive revenue growth in a flat market, retained 99 per cent of clients, and promoted or rewarded 40 per cent of its people.

Strategically, Wigmore has championed campaigns that combine creativity with measurable effectiveness. She oversaw the Renewables Ad Engine, a world-first innovation linking advertising delivery to renewable energy peaks, as well as the HSBC AeroMotion Engine and Diageo Development Index, all delivering category-defining returns and recognised for sustainability and effectiveness awards.

A visible industry advocate, Wigmore co-leads OMG’s Gender Committee and DE&I Council and is known for her data-driven research into cultural change, including Change of Heart, which analysed millions of data points to map shifts in Australian values. Her 2024–25 leadership demonstrates how principled decision-making and emotional intelligence can redefine performance — proving that when you protect the heart and power the science, you elevate the industry.

Linda Fagerlund

Mediahub ANZ, Chief Strategy Officer

Linda Fagerlund is redefining modern media strategy by blending cultural intelligence with commercial impact.

Since joining Mediahub in 2024, she has helped transform the agency from a quiet challenger into one of the market’s most dynamic players, delivering double-digit growth, expanding client partnerships, and shaping a leadership culture built on inclusion and purpose.

Her strategic framework, “Less Auto, More Pilot,” challenges the industry’s over-reliance on automation and has reinvigorated creativity and effectiveness across client work.

Under her leadership, Mediahub has secured major new business including Hasbro, Auto & General, and The Women’s Asian Cup, and delivered standout campaigns for New Balance, Lurpak, and iNova that achieved double-digit sales and awareness gains.

She has built one of the most diverse leadership teams in the market, 60 per cent female and 50 per cent culturally diverse, and co-founded Smelly Lunch Stories, a not-for-profit movement tackling barriers to leadership for culturally diverse talent.

Melissa Hey

WPP Media Australia and New Zealand, Chief Investment Officer

Melissa Hey has transformed the investment function at WPP Media into one of the most sophisticated and responsible trading operations in the Australian market.

Since May 2024, she has re-engineered how the group leverages its $3 billion in media spend — balancing commercial scale with transparency, accountability, and ethics.

WPP Media has reclaimed the #1 RECMA ranking with a 13-point lead and delivering 7.4 per cent FY24 growth, well ahead of industry benchmarks.

Hey oversaw major wins and retentions including Suncorp, Amazon, L’Oréal Influencer, Nestlé, Specsavers, Warner Bros. Max, Foxtel and Queensland Government.

Her disciplined yet inventive approach to negotiation has improved Trading Transparency NPS from –10 to –2 in Sydney and –15 to –2 in Melbourne, earning WPP Media top national standing for both transparency and delivery.

She launched initiatives such as Back to News, the Digital Sustainability Initiative and Motion Entertainment to align media spend with social and environmental impact.

As part of WPP Media’s executive leadership, she has reshaped culture through the Thrive Future of Work program, salary transparency, and extensive mentoring of female leaders.

Kristiaan Kroon

Omnicom Media Group Australia, Chief Operating Officer

Promoted in December 2024 from his previous role as Chief Investment Officer, Kristiaan Kroon now leads transformation across OMD, PHD and Hearts & Science, with a mandate to unify talent, tools, and operational capability around client outcomes.

During his CIO tenure, Kroon introduced the “Agency as a Platform” model. This focused on aligning investment, content, and commercial partnerships under shared frameworks. As COO, he is embedding that philosophy into day-to-day operations.

In the 2024–25 period, Kroon’s leadership bridges the past and future. He combines deep institutional knowledge of investment with executive responsibility for how OMG scales and evolves.

His role is central to strengthening OMG’s ability to deliver complex integrated media, content and commercial solutions while ensuring consistency, resilience and precision.

Amy Dascanio

Enigma, Managing Director

Amy Dascanio’s mission is disarmingly simple: build a world-class media agency from Newcastle.

Over the past year, she’s kept Enigma on that trajectory, securing six major national wins (including Lendlease, Humm Group, GigaComm and Blackwoods) while retaining the agency’s top-ten clients at extraordinary tenure.

With 24 years in media across Zenith, Mindshare and MediaCom, she’s re-engineered Enigma to be truly channel-agnostic, training teams to think full-funnel across broadcast, digital, performance and data.

Dascanio founded the Enigma Media Academy with the University of Newcastle to develop regional “media unicorns,” and introduced a 9-day fortnight, structured mentoring and a female-forward leadership model

Her leadership blends precision and care. Enigma delivered double-digit growth, added new national briefs, and continued long-run partnerships through ethical buying and clear, accountable relationships.

Nathan Young

WPP Media Austalia and New Zeland, Chief Growth Officer

Since 2021, Nathan Young has rebuilt WPP Media’s growth engine modernising pitch craft, unifying marketing and transformation, and turning process into a competitive edge.

In 2024–25 he tightened qualification, centralised resources, and introduced automation (including RPA and streamlined workflow tools) so teams could move faster with less friction and more consistency.

Under Nathan’s leadership, WPP Media added a considerable uplift in 2025 billings that has propelled the group to joint #1 in COMvergence’s Australian billings rankings.

The results show up where it matters: disciplined win rates, major new mandates across tech, retail, finance and entertainment, and key retentions that anchor long-term momentum.

Initiatives like salary-transparency, flexible work under Thrive, and recognition rituals have lifted trust and engagement, while cross-agency mobilisations have turned complex, multi-market pitches into cohesive efforts.

Industry-side, Young has helped shape pitch standards (including co-authoring guidance with the MFA) and is a visible advocate for integrity in pursuit: clear promises, clear processes, and accountable outcomes.

In a period of constant change, he’s shown how a holding group can combine scale with discipline, proving that sustainable growth comes from clarity, craft and culture working in lockstep.

Maria Grivas

Mindshare Australia and New Zealand, CEO

Maria Grivas joined Mindshare in 2022, and has redefined the agency’s trajectory, to make Mindshare one of Australia’s most competitive and respected agencies.

Under her direction, Mindshare delivered exceptional momentum through 2024 – 25, achieving double-digit revenue growth and topping new-business rankings.

The agency secured major accounts including Unilever, Nestlé, Citibank, MG, and the Australian Labor Party, while retaining long-standing partnerships with uBank, Blackmores, and EA. Its Good Growth philosophy, growth that benefits clients, people, and the wider community, has become both a client proposition and a cultural compass.

A recognised industry voice, Grivas advocates for inclusion and responsible innovation.

She has championed investment in underrepresented voices through Mindshare’s Inclusive Media Playbook and guided purpose-driven campaigns such as Dove “The Meno-Unpause” and Ford “Hoop Dreams”, which combined creativity with measurable social and business impact.

Marilla Akkermans

Equality Media + Marketing, Founder & MD 

Marilla Akkermans founded Equality Media + Marketing in 2018 to prove that a people-first agency could thrive commercially.

This year it was named the 2025 AFR BOSS Best Place to Work in Media & Marketing and certified as a Great Place to Work.

In 2024-25, Akkermans led Equality through its most-transformative year, growing the team by more than half, expanding offices, and increasing campaign activity.

Her “radical transparency” leadership model with open financials, monthly town halls, and co-designed workspaces, has created shared ownership and 100 per cent staff retention in an industry marked by churn.

She reinforced Equality Time, the agency’s four-day, full-pay week, and expanded inclusive entitlements covering menopause, miscarriage, cultural and gender-affirmation leave.

Through Equality Elevate, a paid internship for under-represented talent, she continues to open industry doors for new voices.

Commercially, Equality achieved record performance and complete client retention, with new partnerships and expanded full-service relationships built on transparency and trust.

Akkermans also deepened the agency’s pro-bono work for Women’s Property Initiatives, helping fund safe housing for women at risk.

Peter Vogel

Wavemaker Australia and New Zealand, CEO

Peter “PV” Vogel has kept Wavemaker out in front by pairing scale with restless, challenger energy. Over 2024–25 he’s tightened the agency’s operating spine, linking strategy, investment and digital under clear frameworks, while doubling down on Wavemaker’s culture of Positive Provocation: encouraging teams to challenge norms, test faster and turn smart risk into client advantage.

Vogel’s leadership shows up in both momentum and depth. Wavemaker secured significant new mandates and broadened remits with cornerstone clients, while strengthening senior benches across investment, planning and digital.

He’s accelerated capability where the market is moving with AI-assisted optimisation, retail media and influencer/affiliate, so full-funnel ideas land with precision and are measured against business outcomes, not just media metrics.

Bespoke learning programs (Fuel, Spark, Illuminate, Ascend, Maestro, Beacon), flexible ways of working and wellbeing initiatives such as A-Game Mindset have kept churn well under the rest of the industry.

Partnerships with Talent Beyond Boundaries, AMAZE Autism, Talent RISE and CareerTrackers reflect his belief that diverse teams outperform, creatively and commercially.

Beyond the agency, Vogel is an active sector steward: board roles, knowledge-sharing with marketers, and thought-leadership that pushes on measurement, transparency and effectiveness.

Paige Wheaton

Initiative, Chief Investment Officer

In 2024-25, Paige Wheaton rebuilt Initiative’s investment engine for clarity, consistency and outcomes.

As CIO and de-facto 2IC to the CEO, she standardised ‘gold-standard’ investment processes, lifted audit performance to a 95% strike rate, and embedded automation and precision tools that tightened delivery and reduced noise in finance and reporting.

When the Melbourne market needed steadier rhythms, Wheaton relocated Monday to Thursday each week to lead on-the-ground. The result was 14/14 client renewals, a visible lift in operational cadence, and national client satisfaction at TRR 8.05.

She also reframed investment’s role in growth, co-authoring the agency’s Cultural Experience proposition and bringing a dedicated investment narrative to pitch, helping secure wins including Volvo, Netflix, 3M and Aspen Pharmacare.

Amid market disruption and heightened scrutiny on value, Wheaton’s stance is clear: precision planning, full-funnel measurement and purpose-aligned spend.

Jimmy Hyett

This is Flow, founder and CEO

Hyett established his independent full-service media agency in 2015, leading as its CEO.

Before launching his agency, he worked for PHD, Zenith, Hyland and MediaCom. Over the last five years, He has represented independent agencies on the Media Federation of Australia’s board of directors.

Under Hyett’s leadership, This is Flow has seen significant growth in clients and staff and represents brands like Princess Cruises, a2 Milk Co, Air Asia, Eftpos, BPay, John Deere, Hydralyte, Hard Yakka and more. 

To support this growth, Hyett and his team have developed innovative tools and people-focused initiatives, driving the industry’s strongest client retention, staff retention, and culture. Among This is Flow’s industry accolades is the #1 Best Place to Work on the Official Australia’s Best Workplaces List in 2023.

Jo McAlister

Initiative Australia, CEO

Jo McAlister has re-energised Initiative, turning a year of turbulence into one of transformation and momentum.

Appointed CEO in mid-2024, she stabilised the business through calm, visible and transparent leadership.

She instigated a national roadshow, monthly client one-to-ones, and open “Wonder Wall” forums gave people a voice and direction.

From there, she introduced The Cultural Experience Agency, a new market proposition that re-established Initiative’s creative and strategic edge. The results came fast: multiple high-profile client wins including Volvo, Netflix, 3M, and Aspen Pharmacare, alongside 14 successful client renewals.

McAlister has also introduced AI-powered collaboration, robotic automation and digitised workflows that now handle the majority of campaign processes.

These efficiencies have delivered stronger client performance, with national satisfaction scores (TRR 8.05) among the highest in the market.

A long-time champion of inclusion, McAlister serves as Executive Sponsor of Mediabrands’ PRIDE Network, sits on ACON’s Pride in Diversity Board, and mentors through The Marketing Academy.

Her leadership has turned adversity into alignment, proving that empathy and accountability can drive both culture and commercial strength.

Rory Heffernan

Atomic 212°, CEO

Rory Heffernan assumed the CEO role at Atomic 212° in November 2024.

Having risen from the agency’s first employee to GM and National MD, he took the reins with deep institutional insight.

Under his leadership, Atomic navigated a major transition. In early 2025 it joined Publicis Groupe ANZ. The acquisition was structured to preserve Atomic’s identity and operational independence, including a multi-year earnout for leadership equity holders.

Rory’s role has been central in bridging integration and autonomy, affirming that Atomic can benefit from global scale while retaining its independent spirit.

During this period, Rory has reinforced Atomic’s product clarity in trading, performance, data and strategy, extending its national reach through the acquisition of KWPX’s media divisions in Adelaide and Perth.

The agency also expanded its client base and deepened long-standing relationships, recently winning Tennis Australia’s media account.

Culture and trust remain core to his leadership. Despite sector consolidation and acquisition change, staff morale and retention have stayed strong.

His 2024–25 tenure reflects a rare balancing act as he leads transformation while preserving what made Atomic 212° a standout in the first place.

Matt Nunn

Nunn Media, Managing Director

Matt Nunn has built Nunn Media into one of Australia’s most successful independent agencies.

In 2024–25, he guided the business through a period of strong growth, strategic acquisition, and diversification, expanding its capabilities across data, digital, and performance.

Under his leadership, Nunn Media strengthened its offer through the acquisition of Indago Digital, broadening expertise in SEO, analytics, and automation.

The agency also added major new clients including SunRice, Dr Squatch, Turkish Airlines, and Cygnett, while deepening long-term relationships with brands such as Tinder, Bendigo Bank, and Baker’s Delight.

Nunn has championed gender equality across all levels of the business, promoted collaboration and accountability, and invested in proprietary tools that enhance effectiveness and client value.

A passionate advocate for the independent sector, Nunn continues to demonstrate that strength in media leadership isn’t measured by size, but by the trust, innovation, and impact an agency creates for its people and clients.

Elizabeth Baker

Zenith Australia, Chief Investment Officer,

Elizabeth Baker leads Zenith’s investment strategy and over the past year, she has strengthened Zenith’s position as one of Australia’s most trusted and forward-thinking media agencies, combining commercial excellence with inclusive, values-driven leadership.

Her focus on ‘impact over impressions’ has reshaped the agency’s investment philosophy.

Under her direction, the team achieved 100 per cent of its buying KPIs, delivered market-leading trading performance for 15 consecutive years, and introduced a pioneering investment product that redirects client savings into media supporting DEI and community initiatives.

She co-founded ZenAcademy, a training and mentorship platform that has become central to Zenith’s professional development framework, and spearheaded a hybrid marketplace model that brings digital and offline specialists together under one structure.

Baker is also a member of the Publicis Groupe Investment Council, helping define future investment standards and governance.

Pippa Berlocher

EssenceMediacom ANZ, CEO

In 2024–25, under Pippa Berlocher’s leadership, the agency secured major wins including Specsavers and Warner Bros. Discovery, while retaining cornerstone partnerships such as the Queensland Government, NRL, and Uber.

These achievements reflect Berlocher’s commitment to clarity, collaboration, and consistency across the merged agency’s product, planning, and digital capabilities.

Culturally, she has stabilised and re-energised the agency, reducing attrition, promoting more than 90 team members in a year, and achieving 57 per cent female representation on the executive team.

Her People Framework, centred on purpose, progression, inclusion and wellbeing, has made EssenceMediacom one of the industry’s most progressive workplaces.

Berlocher also champions purpose-driven partnerships, including the agency’s national collaboration with Dolly’s Dream, which raised over $1 million and generated more than $13 million in pro-bono media support.

Mark Coad

IPG Mediabrands Australia, CEO

Mark Coad has continued to strengthen IPG Mediabrands’ position as one of Australia’s most trusted and stable agency networks.

His leadership is defined by consistency, reinforcing values of integrity, accountability, and collaboration across clients, agencies, and media partners.

Appointed Chair of the Media Federation of Australia in February 2025, Coad has taken a leading role in shaping the future of Australia’s media industry.

He has championed stronger standards around transparency, value-based client relationships, and sustainable agency practices, while also elevating the conversation about the role of automation and AI in modern media.

Coad’s approach reflects a clear belief that progress in media isn’t about disruption alone, it’s about integration, purpose, and the strength of relationships that endure beyond market cycles.

Jason Tonelli

Zenith Media Australia, CEO

Jason Tonelli has strengthened Zenith’s position as one of Australia’s most progressive agencies, combining performance discipline with an inclusive, people-first culture.

Under his leadership, Zenith has cemented its identity as the ROI agency, and expanding partnerships across FMCG, travel, retail, and tech.

He has embedded Zenith’s ROI³ framework, linking insight, imagination, and investment, and launched Connected ID, a privacy-compliant data platform delivering stronger engagement and conversion.

Tonelli continues to push into new frontiers, from gaming and creator marketing to predictive data and commerce media, ensuring clients stay ahead of change.

Beyond Zenith, he serves on the boards of UnLtd, AiMCO, and the Audited Media Association of Australia, advocating for a more transparent, inclusive, and resilient industry.

Jacquie Alley

The Media Store, CEO

Jacquie Alley is one of Australia’s most influential independent-agency leaders, combining commercial discipline with a deep commitment to ethics, inclusion, and sustainability.

Under her leadership, The Media Store has been recognised among Australia’s Best Workplaces 2025 and named an AFR Boss Media & Marketing finalist, reflecting her belief that strong business results start with people.

She has introduced progressive initiatives including gender-pay-gap closure, profit-sharing, enhanced parental leave, and flexible work policies that empower balance and wellbeing.

As Chair of the Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA), Alley has become a national advocate for the indie sector — pushing for fairer pitch practices, equal data access, remuneration transparency, and stronger DE&I standards.

Her leadership continues to set the benchmark for responsible, values-driven business in Australia’s independent media landscape.

Laura Nice and Sian Whitnall

OMD Australia, co-CEOs

Laura Nice and Sian Whitnall lead Australia’s largest media agency with shared clarity of purpose, to shape what’s next for clients, culture, and the wider industry.

Together, they have redefined OMD’s operating model around creativity, agility, and measurable impact, ensuring the agency remains Australia’s #1 ranked media network for a decade running in RECMA’s Qualitative Report.

In 2024–25, they launched OMD’s new positioning, “We Create What’s Next”, a bold evolution that reframed the agency’s mindset, structure, and craft.

Under their leadership, OMD has combined commercial discipline with creative ambition, delivering growth through new partnerships including Freedom, Under Armour, and Kimberly-Clark, while renewing long-standing client relationships without pitch.

Their work for brands such as Telstra, McDonald’s, and AAMI continues to set benchmarks for effectiveness and innovation.

Nice and Whitnall have built a unified workplace that celebrates inclusion, flexibility, and wellbeing, with over 25 per cent of staff promoted in the past year and industry-leading retention.

OMD has been certified as a Great Place to Work for 17 consecutive years.

Beyond the business, both leaders actively shape the future of media — driving DE&I initiatives, mentoring through The Village and the MFA5+ Program, and championing sustainability through Ad Net Zero.

Lyndelle O’Keefe

Match & Wood, Founder and CEO

Lyndelle O’Keefe leads Match & Wood and over the past year she has focused on real product and people innovation, most notably Campfire.

This is the agency’s proprietary data platform that unifies live media, finance and planning data to speed decisions, lift transparency and free teams to focus on strategy.

Campfire’s progress was recognised with a 2025 federal R&D grant, and sits alongside an in-house holdings system that replaces legacy industry software.

Commercially, O’Keefe has kept momentum while deepening client partnerships. Recent wins include Renault Australia, InstantScripts (AOR) and Horizon Power’s regional remit across WA, with growth driven by expanded digital, martech and strategy capabilities and a consistently outcomes-first approach.

’Keefe has embedded development plans, management and women’s leadership programs, generous parental leave (including extended partner leave), hybrid work, and a wellbeing framework that includes trained Mental Health First Aiders.

The agency’s Match & Good platform advances DEIA, carbon-offsetting and pro-bono media support, reinforcing values in day-to-day operations.

An independent founder who built the business without external capital, O’Keefe continues to define what a modern indie agency can be.

Mark Jarrett

PHD Australia, CEO

Mark Jarrett has steered PHD through one of its most testing periods and turned it into momentum.

Facing an unusually heavy pitch cycle in late-2024 and 2025, he retained the vast majority of billings under review and added major new partnerships including Bunnings, Reckitt, Zurich, Spirit of Tasmania, SodaStream and Betr, while defending long-term relationships such as ANZ and Beam Suntory.

Jarrett recast PHD’s proposition as “Intelligence. Connected.”  This embedded AI as a co-worker, tightening workflows, and uniting planning, investment and commerce around business outcomes.

The result is a calmer, faster operating rhythm and teams equipped to act as strategic growth partners rather than channel specialists.

Beyond the agency, Jarrett serves on the Media Federation of Australia board, advocating for clearer standards, transparency and value-based client partnerships.

His leadership across 2024–25 shows how a network agency can defend, grow and modernise at once.

Peter Horgan

JOY, Co-Principal and Group CEO

Peter Horgan’s leadership has defined two decades of transformation in the Australian media industry.

As CEO of Omnicom Media Group Australia & New Zealand, he steered the group through sustained growth, market change, and some of the most competitive years in the sector. His tenure was marked by long-term client partnerships, transparent investment practices, and a culture built on accountability and collaboration.

Horgan also served as Chair of the Media Federation of Australia, where he championed standards around transparency, fair remuneration, and diversity of agency ownership.

In September 2025, Horgan took on a new challenge as Co-Principal and Group CEO of Joy, bringing his experience in scaling integrated agencies to the independent sector.

His appointment marks a significant moment for both Joy and the broader industry, signalling how independents can now compete at the highest level.

His arrival immediately strengthened Joy’s positioning, with Mecca joining the agency’s roster. Horgan now leads Joy’s next phase of growth, expanding its media, creative and performance capabilities.

Aimee Buchanan

WPP Media Australia & New Zealand, CEO

Aimee Buchanan has led WPP Media through a defining era of transformation to create a more agile, collaborative and future-ready group.

Under Aimee’s leadership, WPPMedia delivered an 84 per cent pitch conversion rate, while retaining cornerstone clients such as NAB,
Foxtel, and Queensland Government.

Wins included Suncorp, Amazon, L’Oréal, Influencer, Nestlé, Specsavers, Warner Bros. HBO Max, many secured through innovative, future-facing solutions and operating models that aligned with client growth ambitions and societal impact (OpenEra, OpenMind, OpenDoor).

Buchanan has embedded data and creativity into a single, outcomes-driven model while championing responsible media practices through the group’s Digital Sustainability Initiative, recognised for cutting the carbon footprint of campaigns.

A people-first leader, she has redefined flexibility and inclusion through the Thrive program and Better for All diversity framework, introducing gender-neutral parental leave, menopause and gender-affirmation policies, and Australia’s first neurodiverse workplace program for media.

Internationally, Buchanan’s influence was recognised with her appointment to the Cannes Lions 2025 Media Jury.

Imogen Hewitt

Publicis Groupe ANZ, Chief Media Officer and Spark Foundry, CEO ANZ

Imogen Hewitt stands as one of Australia’s most influential and respected media leaders. As Chief Media Officer for Publicis Groupe ANZ and CEO of Spark Foundry, she has redefined leadership in an era that demands both transformation and trust.

Hewitt has driven sustained growth across Publicis Media, which now ranks as the fastest-growing network in the market, with agencies Spark Foundry, Zenith, Starcom, MBM NZ, and Razorfish collectively recording the strongest new-business performance in Australia and New Zealand.

Her leadership has strengthened retention and collaboration, with executive tenure at Spark Foundry surpassing five years and agency happiness ranking among the industry’s highest.

As a cultural architect, Hewitt has built environments where people can thrive, launching parent and carer initiatives, transparency in remuneration, mental-health advocacy, and meaningful flexibility across the Groupe.

She has also advanced Publicis Groupe’s Connected Platform, uniting data, creativity and technology into a single system that delivers measurable growth for clients including P&G, Subaru, Fitness & Lifestyle Group, and Cancer Council Australia.

Her ability to lead both operational excellence and cultural evolution has made her an indispensable voice within the Groupe and beyond.

A board member of the Media Federation of Australia and two-time Cannes Lions Media Jury member, Hewitt is a mentor, strategist and reformer whose leadership proves that progress and performance are not opposing forces.

Michael Rebelo

Publicis Groupe ANZ, CEO

Michael defines modern media-network leadership.

As CEO of Publicis Groupe ANZ, he has led one of the region’s most transformative growth stories, turning a global holding company into a connected creative, media and technology powerhouse.

In 2025 he delivered the year’s defining move with the acquisition of Atomic 212°, Australia’s largest independent media agency. The deal instantly expanded Publicis’ scale and capability, cementing its position as a full-funnel leader.

He also launched Publicis Edge, a local innovation unit combining data, engineering and AI to create new market-first tools.

Under Rebelo, Publicis Media – comprising Spark Foundry, Zenith, Starcom, Razorfish, Atomic 212 and MBM NZ- ranked #1 for net-new business across Australia and New Zealand (COMvergence H1 2025), sustaining five straight years of category-leading momentum.

Equally, he has built one of the region’s most progressive workplace cultures.

Publicis Groupe ANZ is a four-time Employer of Choice winner, recognised for flexible work, accessibility and genuine inclusion.

Initiatives like the Carers Collective, VivaWomen and Mosaic have re-defined what belonging means inside a global network.

As Chair of Advertising Council Australia and a board member of the MFA, Rebelo’s influence extends industry-wide.

He has championed accreditation reforms for DE&I and sustainability and was among the founding signatories of Ad Net Zero Australia.

Visionary yet pragmatic, Rebelo leads not only Australia’s largest communications group but the broader industry agenda.

2025 was the year he didn’t just grow Publicis Groupe ANZ, he redefined what leadership in media looks like.