VMLY&R appoints senior strategist, Dan Brown
WPP creative agency VMLY&R Melbourne has appointed Dan Brown as senior strategist to work across clients including Australian Unity and the Department of Transport.
Brown becomes the latest in a string of hires over the past year, including senior digital strategist Josh Swingler, business analyst Amy Dromgoole, data analyst Anup Bale and strategist Lauren Isaak.
(L-R) Dan Brown, Anup Bale, Josh Swingler, Lauren Isaak, and Ken Chan
“As soon as you speak to the team here you can sense that they’re onto a good thing. They’re also bloody lovely too,” Brown, who joins from McCann, said.
“I’m thrilled to be joining a diverse and incredibly talented team, and can’t wait to get stuck into the business end of things.”
The spate of new appointments comes since Ken Chan joined as strategy director in the Melbourne office a year ago. In that period, the agency has grown its remit across Australia Post, Monash University, Australian Unity, and Department of Transport. It has also won new business including Defence Force Recruiting, Crown Resorts and Ford.
VMLY&R said these accounts created additional need for strategy, digital, CX and data capabilities.
“Our goal is to build a team that can bring a diversity of perspectives and experiences to solving problems for our clients,” Chan said.
“Whether it’s an advertising, CX, digital or pure business issue – we want to keep attracting resourceful thinkers who can challenge us and our clients to create better work that works.”
The office’s managing partner, Jon Kenyon, added: “We have worked really hard on building out a strong strategic practice in the agency over the last 12 months and we’re now starting to see the results in the work.
“Cross disciplinary teams are a requirement in today’s landscape, as our clients’ needs shift and change.”
The agency’s Sydney office, meanwhile, has had a difficult year in terms of staffing. In October, 11 people departed the Sydney outpost, following the exits of regional operations director Jeremy de Villiers, head of strategy and innovation Dave Di Veroli, head of platforms and experiences Tim Fletcher, managing partner Katie Dally, chief growth officer Peter Collins, associate strategy director Bryan Wilmot, and head of people and culture Tara Jackson.
WPP agencies VML and Y&R merged to become VMLY&R effective from the start of last year. Y&R CEO Pete Bosilkovski and VML CEO Aden Hepburn became co-CEOs, but Bosilkovski left in May and Hepburn in June, leaving Jon Bird to step into the role.
Brittney Rigby was Mumbrella's deputy managing editor - news and analysis. She left Mumbrella in April 2021.
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Dan is a great strategist and an even better novelist.
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