Starcom appoints Matt Houltham as CEO
Former Havas Media and Naked Communications boss Matt Houltham will join Publicis Groupe’s Starcom in July as its new CEO.
Reporting to Publicis Groupe ANZ’s chief media officer Imogen Hewitt, Houltham will lead Starcom Australia, working closely with chief operating officer Louise Romeo and chief client and growth officer Scott McCaffrey on the executive leadership team.
His appointment comes following the departure of former CEO Nick Keenan in October last year. Keenan spent nearly five years with Starcom Australia.
(L-R): Matt Houltham, Imogen Hewitt
Houltham joins the agency from marketing research platform Glow where he spent four years as global chief marketing officer.
Prior to that, he served as CEO of Havas Media AUNZ and MD of Naked Communications in Melbourne and New York. He has 25 years of experience in managing media and strategy, including a previous stint at Publicis Groupe at Zenith Australia.
“In his various leadership positions, Matt has consistently demonstrated his ability to deliver continuous innovation and achieve outstanding results for clients. He is also a leader with a reputation for positively engaging and developing talent,” Hewitt said in a media release on Wednesday.
“Matt’s experience across media and creative — alongside his leadership in digital media transformation — is a rare and powerful blend that will ensure the continued growth of the Starcom business in Australia. We are delighted to welcome Matt to the team.”
Houltham said Starcom has a “fantastic legacy” of strong client partnerships.
“That success stems from a stellar team who is ambitious, curious and deeply collaborative,” he said.
“I’m excited to join the crew to build on that foundation. With expanded data and technology capabilities through recent Publicis Groupe acquisitions, we are well positioned to elevate Starcom Australia’s impact even further — ensuring that everything we do moves people and business metrics. I cannot wait to get started.”
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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