Accenture Interactive appoints Aussie expat David Droga to CEO and creative chairman role

Accenture has appointed acclaimed creative icon and Aussie expat David Droga, founder and chairman of Droga5, as Accenture Interactive’s new CEO and creative chairman, effective September 1st, 2021.

Brian Whipple, who has led Accenture Interactive for the last ten years, has announced his retirement from Accenture. Under Brian’s leadership, in fiscal year 2020 (ended Aug. 31st, 2020), Accenture Interactive grew to $10.6 billion in revenue and was named the world’s largest digital agency network by Ad Age for six consecutive years.

In his new global role, Droga will drive creative excellence, customer experience and business innovation – which leverages the unique capabilities of Interactive, including the power of the depth and breadth of Accenture – to accelerate results that sustain business growth. As global enterprises adapt to new customer needs, expectations and opportunities across industries, Accenture is helping set a new standard for customer connection, sales and marketing – with capabilities from brand to data and artificial intelligence, to the latest technology, to marketing operations.

Says Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture: “At a time when our clients are led by purpose, brand and the transformation of experience, David’s global perspective and unmatched creative track record allows us to help clients unlock business and human outcomes in unprecedented ways.

“I would like to thank and recognise Brian Whipple for his foundational role in building Accenture Interactive’s strong business, driving its rapid growth and for pioneering a disruptive business model that will continue redefining the industry.”

Droga is best known as the founder of the celebrated advertising firm Droga5. Under his influential leadership, Droga5 has been named Agency of the Year more than 25 times and was most recently named Agency of the Decade by both Adweek and AdAge. Prior to founding Droga5, Droga was the first-ever worldwide chief creative officer of the Publicis Network and held key creative leadership roles across agencies in the UK, Asia and Australia. To date, he is the most awarded creative at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and the youngest person ever inducted into the New York Art Directors Club Hall of Fame and awarded with the Cannes Lions Lifetime Achievement Award, the Lion of St. Mark. Droga will report to Sweet and join the company’s Global Management Committee.

Says Droga: “Accenture Interactive has rapidly become the leading digital powerhouse at the intersection of data, creativity and technology. As the world seeks to build back better, Interactive will continue to play a critical role in creating 360° value for our clients. I look forward to putting further emphasis on our creative excellence, coupling it with our world-class ingenuity and proven expertise in Interactive and experiences.”

The demand for experience-led transformation continues to accelerate and is top-of-mind for CEOs as businesses reimagine the need for B-to-B transformations using B-to-C experiences amid the Covid-19 pandemic. A large majority (77%) of CEOs said they will fundamentally change how their companies interact with customers as a priority to drive business growth, Accenture Research found.

Droga5 has been part of Accenture since being acquired in 2019. Together, Droga5 and Accenture Interactive have created transformative brand experiences for many of the world’s leading brands, including Accenture, Kimberly Clark, Amazon and lululemon.

David Droga is Australia’s most successful advertising export and the single most awarded creative director in the world.

Before founding Droga5 in 2006, he had been the first Worldwide chief creative officer for the Publicis Network, as well as executive creative director of Saatchi London and regional creative director for Saatchi Asia. Before leaving Australia in 1995, he was a partner and creative director of OMON, Sydney.