Ideaworks appoints Naseema Sparks as MD
Retail marketing specialist Ideaworks has appointed Naseema Sparks as managing director.
The announcement:
One of Australia’s leading agency executives Naseema Sparks is to join retail marketing specialist IdeaWorks as consulting Managing Director.
Sparks was MD of M&C Saatchi for 8 years to 2007, and a global equity partner until its listing in 2002. In the last four years, Sparks has built a career as a professional non-executive director of major Australian listed companies including Blackmores Ltd, PMP Ltd, and Sydney Dance Company.
“IdeaWorks has grown significantly over the last two years, with new clients such as Coates Hire, Petbarn, Asics and Optus digital,” said IdeaWorks CEO Bird. “We’re at the stage where I need to spend more time working on the business, rather than in the business, and I need a partner to help run IdeaWorks day-to-day. I could think of no-one better than Naseema to fulfil that role.”
Sparks will retain her key directorships, but says that she has “always enjoyed agency life”.
“IdeaWorks presented an irresistible opportunity. The brand is uniquely positioned as a retail specialist and I love retail. A lot of what I worked on at M&C was retail-based – including Woolworths and Optus. But IdeaWorks takes it to a whole new level, with services such as brand identity, store design and brand activation, alongside advertising, catalogues and digital.”
IdeaWorks is “powering”, according to Bird. “We’ve built a strong management team. We have a presence again in Brisbane and Melbourne. We’ve been winning business and awards, including Best Online Retail Site for Asics a few months ago. We’ve also just moved into brand new premises to accommodate growth. I think it speaks volumes for how far IdeaWorks has come that we’ve been able to attract someone of Naseema’s stature.”
IdeaWorks is a member of the Y&R Brands Group in Australia. Group CEO Russel Howcroft said he was pleased to have Sparks join IdeaWorks. “Naseema is regarded as one of the country’s best agency executives. She’s a great leader and an astute businesswoman. Her track record at M&C and her subsequent experience in the wider business community will be a tremendous asset to our Group.”
Yesss!! First across the line!!
Congrats to Ideaworks on an exceptional hire.
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We’re definitely excited about the opportunities that this appointment brings to IdeaWorks – welcome Naseema 🙂
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