UM has promoted Adam Russell to the newly-created role of Melbourne general manager. Mediaweek understands the GM position was created after the managing director role was made redundant.
Russell will begin in the new position on 1 April and retain his remit as client lead on Kmart and OnePass.
Russell joined the Mediabrands media agency in 2017, and was most recently group account director. Before that, he was at WPP’s MediaCom for almost six years.
Russell will report to CEO of UM Australia, Anathea Ruys, who said he is “well respected in the Melbourne media industry”.
“As many people know, I am a true Melburnian with a soft spot for both the city and its people and I am looking forward to working alongside Adam as he and his team continue to build on the amazing award-winning, creative work they already do for clients including Kmart, OnePass, Vanguard, AGL, HBF and Seek among others,” she said.
“Adam strives to be better at his craft every day, his naturally curious mind means he is a creative problem solver, enabling him to design commercially-driven solutions for our clients: pivotal for success in our industry.”
Russell added that “turning up to work is all about being the best you can be and sharing your commitment to the job with your team and clients”.
“The media industry is such a diverse and creative environment where people from all walks of life can establish a fantastic career; and by taking on this new role, I am especially excited about the expanded opportunities I will have to mentor and coach the industry’s next generation of professionals.
“It’s a privilege to be offered this leadership role, I can’t wait to make a difference.”
A month ago, Mediaweek revealed that veteran head of trading Andrew Murray had left the business after 20 years, alongside a small number of redundancies made across both the Sydney and Melbourne offices.
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Top image: Russell and Ruys