TBWA Media Arts Lab makes senior leadership changes
TBWA Media Arts Lab, Apple’s bespoke global creative agency, has made some senior appointments locally following managing director Jake Donaghey’s move to Los Angeles.
Donaghey has relocated to lead the iPhone account at TBWA Media Arts Lab Los Angeles. According to a release, his move “underscores the global connectivity of the agency”.
The Sydney arm of the global agency has hired Anna Hunt as its new managing director to replace Donaghey, and has promoted Stuart Alexander to executive creative director.
Stuart Alexander and Anna Hunt
Hunt will report to global CEO Katrien De Bauw, and will work closely with Alexander to lead the client-agency relationship with Apple.
She has nearly 20 years of experience across top creative agencies and global brands, including a previous stint at TBWA, as well as M+C Saatchi, Google, and Host. She has also undertaken consultancy work across creative and digital businesses like Nakatomi, Language Design, and Rick Barry.
She said she’s excited to join the team and build on the “tremendous momentum” that has been created.
“The opportunity to work on an iconic brand while driving our digital and social capabilities forward is incredibly energizing. I look forward to partnering with Stuart and the entire team to continue raising the bar,” Hunt said in the release.
De Bauw said Hunt will bolster this upward trajectory the agency has been on: “Her agency and wider market experience will bring a different perspective, energy and drive that MAL will only benefit from.”
Meanwhile, Alexander first joined the bespoke agency last year in a newly created role of group creative director. He has been a driving force behind work in Australia, and has also assisted the LA team.
Alexander had spent the previous five years as creative director at The Monkeys, working on brands including Telstra. Prior to that, he spent two years at Leo Burnett as creative director, with previous experience at Havas/Host, AJF Partnership and BMF, among other agencies.
Alexander’s stand-out work also includes the transformation of immigration laws in Palau through Havas Host’s 2017 Palau Pledge campaign.
His promotion to the executive creative director level reflects his “exceptional creative leadership and impact on the agency”, according to the release.
Alexander said he looks forward to continuing “pushing the boundaries” of what the Media Arts Lab team can achieve for Apple in the local market. He will continue reporting to global CCO Brent Anderson.
“The creative standard Stuart sets for himself, his constant passion, and his unrelenting ambition all combine to make him deserving of this step,” Anderson said in the release.
“He’s made the Sydney role his own and never looked back – consistently delivering work that resonates both locally and globally, all while maintaining Apple’s distinctive, iconic voice.”
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Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the agency beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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