R/GA Sydney names M&C Saatchi’s Hamish Stewart as executive creative director

R/GA has named Hamish Stewart as executive creative director

The announcement:

R/GA Sydney is pleased to announce it has further strengthened its expanding executive team with the addition of Hamish Stewart as Executive Creative Director.

Reporting into Jim Moffatt, EVP Managing Director APAC, Hamish will be responsible for developing and maintaining creative excellence within the agency across all accounts. An industry expert with over 20 years’ experience, Hamish joins R/GA from M&C Saatchi, where he held the role of Group Creative Director.

“We look in every country across the globe to find the best creative talent, and we think Hamish is truly a world class talent” said Jim Moffatt, EVP Managing Director R/GA Asia-Pacific.

“His diverse agency background, which includes extensive digital experience, makes him a great leader for the Sydney office, where he’ll be mentoring a creative team with myriad aptitudes. We can’t wait to have him on board”

Since officially opening its doors in January 2013, R/GA’s Sydney office has grown to 37 in headcount and has enjoyed a period of steady growth, with continuous senior hires in both creative and technology disciplines.

The office recently set up digital advertising, supported by the key hire of Sarah Marshall as Associate Creative Director. The creative team also welcomes Phil Shearer as Associate Creative Director, Copy.

“Phil started freelancing with us a couple of months ago and quickly became indispensable,” said Gavin McLeod, Executive Creative Director. “We’re really happy that he chose to join the team full-time when the opportunity arose”. The new appointments signal another major step in a significant period of strengthening for R/GA Sydney’s creative team.

“For anyone with an interest in digital and innovation, R/GA is an amazing opportunity,” said Hamish. “I’m excited to join the team in Sydney to help build a powerful offering in the region. R/GA was one of the first agencies to really start thinking beyond advertising and I’m looking forward to exploring that potential.”

Prior to joining R/GA, Hamish also led Mark, M&C Saatchi’s digital, direct and data agency, as Creative Director. In that time, Mark rose to become one of the country’s most awarded digital agencies, with campaigns for clients including Google, Purina, and Noise, winning awards at all major shows, including D&AD, Cannes, One Show Interactive, Webby’s, Spikes Asia, London International, IAB MIXX, FWA and Kinsale Sharks. In 2013, the Gunn Report named Google’s Build with Chrome the fourth most awarded digital campaign in the world.

Hamish is a well-known industry figure with strong experience in direct and digital. He has been a regular judge at award shows such as AWARD Digital, The John Caples Awards, IAB Creative Showcase and the ADMA Awards, including as Chair of Creative Judges for Direct and Digital.

Source: R/GA press release