Dentsu Creative snares KATIE FIRTH from DDB for Melbourne MANAGING DIRECTOR role

Campaign Brief can reveal that Dentsu Creative has appointed Katie Firth to lead its Victorian business as Melbourne Managing Director. Firth joins from two years at DDB Group Melbourne as Managing Partner and has spent the past 12 months helping lead the Omnicom Smith St. creative+media model servicing Coles.

Prior to DDB, Firth was the National Managing Director for whiteGREY and has held leadership roles in some of Australia’s top creative agencies including TBWA, CHE Proximity and Cummins&Partners.

Her client experience includes Jeep, Nissan, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, ANZ Bank, Medibank, WWF, Tourism WA, Tourism Victoria, Tourism Tasmania, Energy Australia, Origin Energy, AGL, Vic Gov, NSW Gov, Coles, Kmart & Pedigree.

She brings over 20 years’ experience with creative work recognised at award shows including Cannes Lions, Effies, AWARD, D&AD.

Says Dentsu Creative ANZ Chief Client Officer, Cate Stuart-Robertson: “With our recent new business wins and expanding client remits, we needed a dedicated leader in Melbourne that could match the energy and excitement of our business. That is Katie Firth.”

Says Firth: “I have loved my time at DDB but I wanted to get back to leading an agency again. Dentsu Creative has been transforming over the past 18 months with strong momentum. That was a huge part of the appeal to shape the future of a new agency brand that has the weight of a global network behind it.”

Adds Dentsu Creative ANZ CEO Kirsty Muddle: “Katie is the kind of leader that will help shape a culture that both our people and our product we will thrive in.”

Firth will sit on the Dentsu Creative ANZ Executive Leadership Team. She starts on 1 November.

The appointment of Firth follows on from Dentsu Creative’s appointment as RMIT University’s new creative agency partner, La Roche Posay, Vicinity Centres, and three shortlists for the agency in the 2023 Australian Effies.