One green bean (ogb) has welcomed the appointment of Amber Abbott to managing director of the creative communications agency.
The creation of the new role is focused on driving innovation and the promotion and return of senior team members.
Abbott, who has been promoted to MD from her role as general manager, assumes responsibility for the agency’s strategic direction and will report directly into global chairman Havas PR Global Collective, James Wright. She has deep experience in the business, with eight-plus years of service at ogb, including as head of client services.
Abbott will be supported by Lauren Bailey, who has been promoted to the new role of managing partner and director of innovation. She rejoined ogb as executive director early in 2022 from her role as group manager – PR, CX Strategy & Content at Westfield’s Scentre Group. Prior to that, Bailey spent four years as business director at ogb.
The new-look senior management team also includes head of content Laura Byrne who joined the agency in 2022 from creative agency Made in Katana, where she led creative accounts for Spotify, Paramount Pictures, ARN, and Sony Music.
Rounding out the four-strong leadership group is head of creative services Hannah Stalder who returns from maternity leave to resume her role championing the agency’s creative output. She brings over thirteen years of experience – the past six at ogb – working on global consumer lifestyle, retail, and tech brands.
Stalder has delivered award winning, integrated, creative strategies for clients including Amazon Australia, Amazon Alexa, Dyson, MLA, LEGO, The Body Shop and PlayStation.
The leadership team, which boasts more than 20 years combined experience at ogb, enters 2023 with a renewed focus on innovation and earning attention through meaningful creative, Abbot explained.
Abbot said: “ogb has always been committed to helping brands earn attention through creativity that drives meaningful conversations. In 2023 we will continue to empower our people to create the world’s most powerful work with a renewed focus on multi-platform, innovative earned ideas. With our incredible stable of clients and a team bursting with talent, I am looking forward to seeing what we will achieve this year.”
James Wright, Global Chairman Havas PR Global Collective noted the appointments and creation of the Innovation role underscored the agency’s determination to remain at the forefront, driving change as an industry leader.
Wright said: “ogb has been a pioneer in the creative communications space in Australia for over a decade through social and digital innovation, and world-class creative thinking. The changes come in lieu of replacing Simone Gupta as CEO who departed the business in 2022. We believe this new structure driven by a young and exciting management team will catapult the agency to even greater heights.”
See also: Simone Gupta steps down as CEO of Havas PR Australia
The appointments follow a period of significant growth that saw ogb welcome Johnson & Johnson, Expedia Group (Expedia, Stayz, Wotif.com), Reckitt, Wondery, and Western Sydney University to its client roster.
Since its inception, one green bean has grown into a multi-award winning, ideas-centric agency with offices in Sydney, London, Amsterdam, and Doha helping brands tell their stories in memorable, useful, and entertaining ways, through meaningful ideas that earn attention.
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Top image: Laura Byrne, Amber Abbott and Lauren Bailey