DDB recruits 5 graduates for 2012 program – set to follow in footsteps of O’Halloran and Brown

As 2012 gets into full swing, DDB Group Sydney is welcoming some of the most important hires of the year as another set of aspiring graduates join the prestigious DDB Group Sydney graduate program. DDB was one of the founding fathers of the Australian graduate program within the communications industry over a decade ago and its current offering is considered one of Australia’s finest and most applied for programs.

The new recruits are set to embark on a thriving career as they follow in the footsteps of other DDB Group senior executives including group managing director of DDB Group Sydney, Chris Brown (pictured), and chairman and CEO of DDB Australia and New Zealand, Marty O’Halloran, who both began their careers as DDB graduates.

With over 120 applicants for the 2012 program, this year’s graduates were handpicked following a rigorous application and interview process. New for this year, the successful individuals were enrolled in a mandatory intense ‘Ad School’ for five days, the brainchild of the Communications Council.

The five are:

·      Tara Beckefeld, Macquarie University

·      Harry Mountier, Australian National University

·      Andrew Douglas, Curtin University

·      Tim Willford, Charles Sturt University

·      Stephanie Lau, University of NSW

Says Brown: “The opportunity to work in a leading agency that delivers world class work and an integrated approach is what keeps grads applying for the program year after year. Our grads are highly regarded and get to hit the ground running with high-end exposure to and input into the account service, strategic and creative teams.

“Having been a graduate at DDB myself, I know that it’s great to be able to learn and flourish in a nurturing environment, working on best in class work, with best in class talent. Many of our grads have gone onto senior executive careers within the group both nationally and internationally with one of our recent graduates securing a position with Tribal New York.

“The development of the program in Australia is part of DDB’s commitment to focus on its people and foster the industry’s up-and-coming talent so that they can follow in the footsteps of the grads-turned-senior executives before them.”

The current graduate program was established in Australia over ten years ago. As a full service integrated agency, the program offers graduates exposure to the entire marketing mix, from advertising to healthcare, digital to branding consultancy, social media, PR and experiential.

Already home to many leading players in the industry, the program gives graduates a chance to work on leading national and international brands such as Telstra, McDonalds and Volkswagen. Driven by a philosophy that is built on a mutually beneficial partnership, grads at DDB are recognised as an important part of the team and valued for their potential, insights and innovation.

Brown says that the Graduate Program is considered one of the highly attractive offerings of the DDB Group service package.  

To date, most grads that have completed the program have gone on to become permanent members of the DDB Sydney team, with an impressive 90 hires across the DDB Australia network since its inception.

Former graduate and new DDB employee Patricia Tzannes (left) said that being part of the DDB graduate program last year gave her some unique and inspiring opportunities:  “To be given the opportunity to work across international brands in an integrated agency was the main attraction for me. It can be daunting finishing University and diving straight into the industry, however the culture DDB breeds is more like a family than a business. With great talent around the agency and the encouragement to be creative, it has been the perfect environment to progress, as seen with so many other past DDB grads including our MD Chris Brown.”

The graduate program is just one of the initiatives that are part of DDB’s commitment to its workplace. Other packages for staff include slumber days, flexible working conditions, summer hours and extensive training opportunities.