Kirsty Muddle appointed Dentsu Creative Group CEO
Following the announcement of Kirsty Muddle’s departure from Cummins & Partners yesterday after 11 years, Dentsu has announced her appointment as CEO of Dentsu Creative Group.
In the position she will lead the creative businesses across both Australia and New Zealand, including brands BWM Isobar, DentsuMB and Dentsu’s PR agencies. Muddle left Cummins & Partners just one month after being appointed CEO.
She will join the business in 2022, coinciding with the conclusion of the BWM earn out, with founding partner and CEO Paul Williams to depart at the close of the year, with Jamie Mackay to also exit, but continue as a consultant.
Rob Belgiovane, the third partner left BWM last year due to personal reasons.
Muddle said on her appointment: “I’m humbled to join a creative agency with 25 years of rich heritage and work with such an amazing group of people and portfolio of clients, creating a pathway together for the next phase of Dentsu’s creative journey.”
Muddle
Dentsu ANZ CEO Angela Tangas said: “Kirsty is elite industry talent and will be instrumental in driving our creative offering forward, harnessing the momentum of recent award-winning work and a year of exceptional growth. We are thrilled to have Kirsty join us to lead our high performing team, whilst enhancing our creative culture across the Dentsu ANZ Group.”
Muddle was a founding partner at Cummins & Partners, as her new employer said she brings “entrepreneurial spirit, leadership style and capability that aligns with Dentsu’s focus on creating and delivering brave ideas and modern marketing solutions, with impact”.
Following her appointment, Muddle forms an all-female group CEO team at Dentsu, alongside Tangas and Dentsu Media’ Sue Squillace, who was appointed in July to head up the new division.
Belgiovane, Williams and Jamie Mackay founded BWM in 1996. In 2006 the agency was acquired by Enero – then known as Photon Group – however, the trio bought Photon’s stake in the agency back in November 2012 for $7.5m.
Less than three years later, Dentsu Aegis Network acquired a 51% stake in the agency, leading to its name change to BWM Dentsu.
In June, Merkle Australia became Dentsu Group’s lead CXM brand as part of the ongoing “simplification” of its Australian capabilities base, with the move meaning Isobar will no longer exist as a standalone entity.
The Isobar name was folded into creative agency BWM Dentsu to create ‘BWM Isobar’, with Isobar’s creative staff to join the new brand as CX staff shift across to Merkle.
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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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