KPMG to launch CMO advisory team led by former Saatchis staffer Carmen Bekker
KPMG has further grown its customer, brand & marketing advisory business with the appointment of former JWT and Saatchi & Saatchi staffer Carmen Bekker to lead a new Australian CMO advisory team.
Prior to her return to Australia to run her own consultancy, Wolverton Gardens, Bekker was management partner and European marketing director for J Walter Thomson’s London office and before that business director at Saatchi & Saatchi in London and Sydney.
KPMG’s new CMO consulting lead Carmen Bekker
“I think the challenges are the same the world over in a lot of areas,” Bekker told Mumbrella about the challenges facing local and UK CMOs. “But in Australia we’re faced with much less population to market to than a brand in, say, the UK or Europe so we have to be able to cut through quickly and we have to be able to reach people with often smaller and tighter budgets.”
Since KPMG’s establishment of the customer, brand & marketing advisory business with the acquisition of customer research agency Acuity in June 2017, the team has grown from 43 staff to 72, including nine partners.
The consulting firm’s move is part of a push by professional services firms to improve their offerings to Australian CMOs with PwC raiding advertising industry staff to boost its practice in June.
KPMG’s recent hires have included former Google staffer Lisa Bora, ex-Virgin Australia chief customer officer Mark Hassell and Telstra Business general manager Melanie Evans who joined in July.
“What sets Carmen apart as a leading voice in marketing is the fact she’s been at the top of the game in London and Europe for well over a decade,” said Paul Howes, partner in charge of KPMG”s customer, brand & marketing advisory, of Bekker’s appointment. “She brings this expertise back to Australia, and her fresh international perspective is exactly what our clients are wanting.”
“CMO’s and brand leaders have a huge responsibility to consistently deliver and innovate for their organisations in today’s rapidly changing environment,” said Bekker. “They face challenges from global trends as they navigate the new world, including media transparency, marketing spend accountability, and creating meaningful customer engagement.”
Who are KMPG? Are they like Renst & Young?
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Hi Tony,
Thanks for flagging – typo in headline now fixed.
The error lies with the idiotic duty newsdesk editor of the day (ie me), not the writer…
Cheers,
Tim – Mumbrella
congratulations and good luck Carmen
So is this like PwC CMO Advisory?
All other names taken?
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Well Done Carmen
Super smart woman and a clever hire.
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Well Done Carmen
Super smart woman and a clever hire
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