303 MullenLowe raids Richards Rose for new chief strategy officer
303MullenLowe Sydney has selected former Richards Rose head of strategy, Jody Elson to take on the role of chief strategy officer.
Elson last month departed Richards Rose after more than six years with the agency, and is now set to spearhead 303 MullenLowe’s overall strategic capability.
The new remit will see her lead a suite of senior planners across the agency, including those within its brand, CX, UX, social and channel planning disciplines.
Prior to Richards Rose, Elson spent seven years at AJF Partnership, setting up its strategy discipline in Melbourne and then Sydney. The start-up Sydney office was eventually reborn as Richards Rose in 2016.
303 MullenLowe Sydney managing director, Joanna Gray, said: “Jody is a planner that has a terrific track record in helping brands grow. She has helped many legacy brands rediscover their purpose and relevance and has also had great success setting up challenger brands to win, expertise that is hugely relevant to our clients. Jody will help 303 MullenLowe be a true ally to help businesses solve whatever is standing in the way of growth.
“She’s an incredible thinker, and having spoken to her about this role for some time, we know how well she will fit within our strong strategic team, and the broader 303 MullenLowe team. Her incredible track record and 24 years spent on an outstanding array of successful clients and award-winning campaigns makes this a really significant hire for the agency, and another example of how we punch above our weight. We’re incredibly excited to have her on board.”
Gray said Elston would utilise her leadership experience to drive collaboration both within the Sydney agency, and the broader group, while also playing an integral role within the management team.
“I’m so excited to be joining Joanna, Bart and Marque in helping to drive the next stage of growth for 303 MullenLowe and its clients. They are as passionate as I am about brands seriously standing for something and then living it through everything they do. 303 MullenLowe is already uniquely set up to do this with its creative and strategic pedigree married with its divergent skill sets of CX, media, data and technology so I can’t wait to champion bringing it all together.”
“As we move into 2023 and its anticipated economic headwinds, strong and clear thinking for brands will be more important than ever. With these hires, wins and a brilliant team of thinkers that work across all our capabilities, we feel confident about the year ahead, and our ability to give brands with ambition an unfair advantage,” Gray concluded.
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