Clemenger BBDO appoints Jacqueline Witts to chief strategy officer and Paul Rees-Jones to chief brand officer across Melbourne + Sydney

Clemenger BBDO has announced two significant enhancements to its leadership for clients nationally, appointing Jacqueline Witts as chief strategy officer to lead the strategic planning function across Melbourne and Sydney, and experienced leader Paul Rees-Jones to the newly-created role of chief brand officer, which will also cover both offices.

Witts will bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the new role, built over two decades in strategy and planning, having previously served as the head of planning for Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and with diverse category expertise in retail, financial services, automotive and FMCG.

In addition to leading the strategy and planning team, Witts remains committed to developing the next generation of talent for both Clemenger BBDO and the industry at large, having lectured for the ACA in Strategic Planning and served as president of Youngbloods Australia.

Prior to joining Clemenger Group in 2020, Witts led strategy and planning functions across several agencies, including AJF Partnership, TBWA Australia and JWT Melbourne.

In her new role, Witts will be focused on utilising creativity to help clients identify new opportunities, drive growth, solve complex business problems and build enduring value.

Says Les Timar, CEO, Clemenger Group: “Jacqueline is a highly engaged and well-regarded strategist who embodies the creative and innovative ethos that we strive to instil in our people, and in the work we do for our clients. Our creativity cannot thrive without best-in-class strategy and planning. It is the foundation stone of our best work.

“With this promotion, we are thrilled to acknowledge Jacqueline’s industry-leading expertise, which has been an essential component to the evolution and success of Clemenger BBDO in recent years.”

Rees-Jones will step into the new role from his role as executive planning director at Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, in which he has driven strategic leadership for more than a decade.

In addition to his existing client responsibilities, Rees-Jones will partner with senior client executives in the development of Organisational Purpose, Brand Platform and Identity, EVP, CVP, Social Impact and Brand Architecture; as well as leading Clemenger BBDO’s proprietary AustraliaNOW cultural research.

Says Timar: “Paul has been instrumental in Clemenger BBDO’s most iconic, creative and effective work, both here in Australia and globally.

“He will focus on aligning internal organisational cultures with our external system of brand experiences to create new and enduring value for our clients, which is critical to our future success.”

Witts and Rees-Jones will work closely with Clemenger BBDO’s executive, creative and planning teams in Melbourne and Sydney to ensure a seamless transition into these new national roles.