Droga5 announces Mark Green as new Global CEO; The Monkeys set to rebrand to Droga5 as of Dec 1

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Droga5 announces Mark Green as new Global CEO; The Monkeys set to rebrand to Droga5 as of Dec 1

Droga5, the award-winning creative agency founded by Aussie expat David Droga within Accenture Song, has today announced the appointment of Mark Green (pictured above) as the new global CEO. Droga5 has also revealed plans for international expansion, which includes bringing current CB Australian Agency of the Year The Monkeys under the Droga5 umbrella with The Monkeys’ offices in Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney becoming part of Droga5 as of 1 December 2024.

 

Green, co-founder and CEO of antipodean creative agency The Monkeys, and currently the Accenture Song ANZ lead, will relocate to New York City and take on the role of global CEO of Droga5 starting in October 2024, the role previously held by Sarah Thompson, who departed in early 2023.

Green, who was appointed Accenture Song ANZ lead nearly five years ago, will work alongside the recently appointed global chief creative officer, Pelle Sjoenell, to oversee all Droga5 creative offices around the world, including in Dublin, London, New York, São Paulo and Tokyo.

Says David Droga, CEO of Accenture Song and founder of Droga5: “Droga5’s mission has always been to deliver creativity rooted in strategy and purpose, that is humanity-obsessed. We create experiences that deeply connect with people and add value to their lives. Mark is a proven leader, who embodies these ambitions and will take Droga5 to the next level of excellence and meaningful influence.”

Says Green: “I’m a firm believer creativity can influence business and people in big and impactful ways. We have proven that our combination of creative firepower and tech transformation is a winning formula in the current market. It’s a privilege to take on this role at Droga5 to steer it into its next chapter, and I’m particularly thrilled to have the incredibly talented team at The Monkeys on board with me for the journey.”

By integrating The Monkeys into Droga5, which has a global presence, local clients will gain greater access to one of the world’s most influential and recognizable creative entities. This integration leverages the immense tech, design and data capabilities of Accenture Song to help clients grow, innovate, and move at the pace of opportunity.

This announcement follows a strong year of growth and success for Droga5, whose client roster includes some of the most influential brands from around the world, including JPMorgan and Chase, Molson Coors, and Tourism Australia, among others.

Droga5 announces Mark Green as new Global CEO; The Monkeys set to rebrand to Droga5 as of Dec 1

Droga (pictured above) founded Droga5 in 2006. From integrated communications and experience innovation to business design, Droga5 has consistently helped redefine the global marketing and advertising landscapes with creativity, ambition and reinvention. It has been recognized as Agency of the Year more than 25 times and was named both Ad Age and Adweek’s Agency of the Decade (2010-2020), among many other accolades.

The Monkeys, one of Australia’s most awarded advertising agencies, was acquired by Accenture in 2017. Since becoming part of Accenture Song, and under Green’s leadership, it has experienced strong growth through major account wins, as well as global creative recognition. The agency has picked up Grand Prix awards at the Cannes Lion Advertising Festival for the last two years in succession. This year, it won the Film Grand Prix for ‘Play It Safe’, celebrating 50 years of the iconic Sydney Opera House, and in 2023, it took home the Titanium Grand Prix for ‘The First Digital Nations’ for the Government of Tuvalu.

Droga5 announces Mark Green as new Global CEO; The Monkeys set to rebrand to Droga5 as of Dec 1

Green co-founded The Monkeys with creative partners Scott Nowell (far left) and Justin Drape (centre) in June 2006. They each invested $10K with a vision to create the most provocative creative agency in the country.

Drape departed The Monkeys in 2021 saying at the time: “What has always made The Monkeys special, is the talented people who committed to shaping the agency’s culture, brand and story. The talented people who continually turn up and challenge the status quo with their creativity, intelligence and relentless belief in making provocative ideas happen. I want to thank all of them.”

Drape later partnered up with former M&C Saatchi executive creative director Michael Canning to launch Exceptional ALIEN.

After 17 years with The Monkeys, Nowell announced his departure in November last year, at the time saying: “It’s been quite a ride, starting with Mark, Justin and I staring at each other in an empty room to now being part of the most exciting global creative agency model going around.”

Green and Sjoenell’s remit will be to lead the agency into its next exciting tech-infused chapter while upholding Accenture Song’s promise to clients to drive business growth and relevance.

Green’s successor as Accenture Song lead in Australia and New Zealand will be announced in due course.