AANA appoints former Unilever CMO John Broome as CEO
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has announced Unilever’s former chief marketing officer John Broome will replace Sunita Gloster as CEO.
Broome: “It has never been more important for the AANA to lead from the front”
Broome departed Unilever after just 13 months in March after a restructure and will commence his new role in early September.
The appointment comes after current CEO of the association Gloster announced she was moving to the embattled Network Ten as chief commercial and strategy officer after four years.
Broome said his appointment co-incided with an important phase of the AANA’s evolution.
“The AANA plays a crucial role in championing the highest ethical and professional standards in marketing. In a dynamically changing marketing and media environment, it has never been more important for the AANA to lead from the front with both agility and a deeply held passion for the profession we all love,” he said.
“I will continue the AANA’s important work celebrating the crucial role our members play in growing successful businesses and creating highly engaging experiences for consumers in Australia and beyond.
“Under my leadership, the AANA will be a passionate advocate for marketing that excites consumers while meeting the high standards our community expects.”
Broome also flagged he would be using his gravitas to attract top talent.
“Having worked with some of the very best, I hope to use the AANA’s influence to help the Australian marketing community attract the brightest talent. I am delighted to be leading the AANA through its next exciting phase.”
AANA chair Matt Tapper said Broome’s experience made him a perfect fit for the role.
“John offers a proven track record leading and influencing people to tell compelling stories and create powerful brands. He is passionate about the role marketing plays in a successful and vibrant economy and keenly understands our profession’s shared responsibility to meet community standards with a high quality and cost effective self-regulatory system.”
The AANA has been looking for a CEO since May
Broome joined Unilever as VP of marketing in February 2016, taking over from Andrea Martens (VP of marketing for home and personal care) and Hugo Verkuil (VP of foods and refreshments) who had occupied the role in a dual capacity from February 2013 – making him responsible for one of the largest marketing spends in Australia.
News of his redundancy from the consumer goods brand was unexpected, but he said it was “pretty consistent” with the wider trends of the industry, noting at the time he would think carefully before accepting his next role.
Prior to joining Unilever, Broome was the head of marketing in Australia and New Zealand for Kellogg’s, which he joined in 2012.
He departed the Kellogg’s role as part of a larger restructure in October 2015.
Broome has also spent time working for Nestle, Reckitt Benckiser and Goodman Fielder.
The search was conducted by Hourigan International.
Hopefully Mr Broome will make sweeping changes and help clean up the dirty transparency crises with swift strokes of his brush.
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Congratulations John.
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A great choice, a very smart marketer.
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