Bastion Creative nabs AJF Partnership leader Susan Bird as managing partner
Bastion Creative has appointed AJF Partnership’s now-former senior leader Susan Bird as its new managing partner.
Coming in as a part of the national leadership team, Bird will lead the agency’s creative practices from Melbourne.
Bird and Godwin
Bird spent over a decade at AJF Partnership as its client partner and general manager, leading key client relationships including Officeworks, Specsavers, Bega, Australian National Preventative Health Agency (ANPHA), Bendigo Bank, and Brown Brothers.
Mike Godwin, national managing director of Bastion Creative, admitted that he tried to hire Bird on many occasions, but the “opportunity was never right”.
“You must be persistent when it comes to the industry’s best talent! I’m so pleased that this time around, our stars have aligned, and the opportunity and timing is right for both Sooze and for us here at Bastion.
“Sooze is first and foremost a warm, engaging, and all-round lovely person, who’ll make a critical contribution in attracting, nurturing, and building on a super talented pool and helping maintain the positive culture we’re proud of.
“Externally, her passion is to help build and lead positive client relationships – she cares about the health of her clients’ businesses and brands and her track record in this space is as among the industry’s best.”
Bird added: “I am thrilled to be leading Bastion Creative in Melbourne and to be joining a rapidly growing and talented team.
“I am also truly excited to be partnering with our wider team of co-located specialists, a model which enables us to deliver more connected and compelling brand experiences that deliver great results for our clients.”
Bird’s departure signalled yet another change in AJF Partnership’s senior leadership team. After the departure of Adam Francis at the end of April, all of the AJF Partnership’s founders have now officially left the business.
AJF merged with digital agency Penso in June, while former Wunderman Thompson executive Nick Muncaster joined as the new managing director of the combined entity.
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Darcy Song was a reporter at Mumbrella, covering media owners, adtech and social platforms. She left in October 2023.
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