Brigid Alkema promoted to chief creative officer at Clemenger BBDO Wellington
Clemenger BBDO Wellington has promoted Brigid Alkema to the role of chief creative officer, from her previous role as executive creative director.
Alkema has been within the Clemenger BBDO New Zealand group for 15 years, taking up the ECD role in 2015, while also serving as creative director at Clemenger BBDO Wellington for the past decade.
Brigid Alkema
Alkema has simultaneously been appointed to the global BBDO Creative Board, as the agency notes she is the first female to do so.
The agency group said that the “promotion and appointments come off the back of many years of creative excellence from Clemenger BBDO with creative leadership from Brigid in her previous role as executive creative director”.
Clemenger Group NZ CEO, Strahan Wallis, said: “this is very rare global recognition for an amazing Kiwi creative leader from an amazing little agency at the bottom of the world and we couldn’t be prouder! This news reflects the global mana that Brigid already carries. Her and her team’s mahi speaks for itself and has been felt many times throughout communities across New Zealand and recognised at creative and effective award shows both here in New Zealand and around the world.”
“We’re beyond thrilled for Brigid and look forward to her continuing to lead a world-class team in Wellington and bringing a taste of Kiwi creativity to BBDO globally.”
Alkema said on her appointment: “We’re proud to produce work that makes a difference in Aotearoa. There’s a weight to these problems, we take them seriously and we try our best to get it right. When our work connects with people and moves them – we feel good. We’re having fun and we’re forever learning. I couldn’t work at a better place, alongside a better bunch of people.”
Clemenger BBDO New Zealand’s client list includes Waka Kotahi, the Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet, the Human Rights Commission, the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Social Development.
The agency said that it has been “tasked with working on some of the most complex problems of our time, such as racism, road safety, toxic masculinity, climate change and COVID-19”.
Brett Hoskin, Clemenger BBDO managing director, said: “Over the last five years, Brigid has fostered a community of brilliant creative brains. They embrace challenges and go all-out to find solutions that deliver for our clients and New Zealanders. Brigid leads from the front and gets her hands dirty, tirelessly pursuing work that makes an impact. She has well and truly earned this title and appointment.”
Alkema started her career at Clemenger BBDO Wellington in 2000, before short stints at both DDB Sydney and Clemenger BBDO Sydney, before moving back to the Wellington agency in 2005.
Last month, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne’s creative chairman, James McGrath was revealed to be stepping back from this role, moving into a part-time role across the Clemenger Group. McGrath is stepping into new role positioning him as a support and mentor across the group’s creative leaders in both Australia and New Zealand, on the newly formed Creative Board, which Alkema will be a part of.
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Calum Jaspan was news editor at Mumbrella, based in Melbourne. He was also the producer and host of the Mumbrellacast. He left Mumbrella in May 2023.
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Brigid Alkema
Clemenger BBDO
Clemenger BBDO Wellington
Clemenger Group New Zealand
Strahan Wallis
