Deloitte Digital snares Colenso duo Dan Wright and Ahmad Salim to launch NZ Creative offering

Deloitte Digital has revealed the next step in the consultancy’s strategy of bringing together the world’s best creative talent with the recruitment of Colenso BBDO Group Executive Creative Director Dan Wright and Executive Business Director Ahmad Salim to lead the creative practice in New Zealand.

Salim takes on the role of Managing Director of Deloitte Digital Creative New Zealand while Wright takes on the Chief Creative Officer role for both New Zealand and Sydney.

During their time at Colenso BBDO they led work that won over 500 of the industry’s most coveted awards. The duo’s best-known work includes ‘SelfieSTIX’ and ‘The Child Replacement Program’ for Pedigree, ‘Kupu’ and ‘Spark Play’ for Spark NZ, ‘I’m Drinking It For You’ for DB Export, Puppo ‘Every Dog Has Its Ad’, and ‘Life After’ for General Electric.

Says Matt Lawson, APAC Chief Creative Officer, Deloitte Digital Creative: “Dan is one of those rare Creatives that has the perfect combination of creative vigour and intellectual rigour. And that’s exactly what you need when the aim is to constantly create what’s new and impactful. As for Ahmad, he’s a pioneering leader who has consistently forged new ground for clients, and shows no sign of slowing down. We are incredibly lucky to have both join this unified trans-Tasman team.”

In their time at Colenso BBDO, Wright & Salim have consistently created success by bringing together creativity, technology, and business. Their work has spanned traditional comms, product design, emerging tech, digital experience ecosystems, and they recently led the creation of Mars Pet Nutrition’s first ever software venture – MyHooman.

Says Deloitte Digital Creative, Chief Creative Officer NZ & Sydney, Dan Wright: “We’re now able to collide the power of creativity with the staggering capability of Deloitte, in a borderless, more collaborative and open way. Ahmad and I see this as a critical shift. Whether our clients are tackling climate change, social and equity issues, business growth, are in their infancy or transforming into a purpose driven business, the integration of creativity into core business models, processes, and products will be increasingly vital.”

Says Deloitte Digital Creative, Managing Director, Ahmad Salim: “It’s genuinely exciting to take on the opportunity of integrating creativity into Deloitte’s consulting services to support NZs fastest growing and highest performing businesses. Deloitte Digital are already at the top of their game in the many services they provide to their wide portfolio of clients. By seamlessly integrating creative thinking into those world class services, we can help brands and businesses tackle the opportunities and challenges of the future with even greater impact.”

The news comes on the back of last week’s announcement that former Colenso & Clemenger BBDO CEO Nick Garrett has joined the firm’s Australian creative business, to supercharge a practice that has already been recognised as Campaign Brief’s The Work Creative Agency of the Year. With the addition of the NZ duo Deloitte Digital Creative now has three studios across ANZ, working as an integrated talent pool, leveraging capability, insights and inspiration to deliver world class work.

Says Nick Garrett, Partner, Deloitte Digital Creative: “Dan is a class act and of course we know each other very well from our five years working together at Colenso. He is a rare breed of creative leader who excels at storytelling and system thinking, without compromise and he is an absolute pleasure to work with. Ahmad brings amazing energy and appetite for the new, and he has blown me away with what he has achieved in his career.”

Says Grant Frear, Lead Partner Deloitte Digital NZ: “Businesses are on the precipice of significant transformational change both in NZ and globally. Climate change, digital transformation, social equity issues and societal pressures on businesses to be more purpose driven means that the traditional levers for growth need to evolve.”

“We are at the end of a period of time where business leaders had a clear ‘playbook’ and entering a period of ‘constant reinvention’. This evolution requires the application of creativity to both the systems and stories applied by brands and businesses. Ahmad and Dan join our team at a critical moment, where we see creativity as an all of Deloitte Digital play.”

Deloitte Digital’s reputation as a creative, technology and marketing consultancy continues to grow with the brand achieving a leadership position in the recent Gartner Global Marketing Magic Quadrant winning Consultancy of the Year from Campaign Asia and enjoying another successful Cannes Lions.

In 2021 the consultancy is focussed on connecting creative thinking into every aspect of the business, and driving a world-first, world-class agenda through its ‘Hello New’ brand positioning.