Enero Group appoints Ian Ball as chief operating officer; Brent Scrimshaw departs CEO role

Enero Group, a leading global group of marketing and technology agencies including creative agency BMF and digital agency Orchard, has today announced the appointment of Ian Ball (above left) to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, effective from February 17th 2025.

Ball will report directly to Enero Chair Ian Rowden and replaces outgoing CEO Brent Scrimshaw (above right), who is also stepping down from his role as Director, after nearly five years in the role. Ball will oversee both the operational and financial leadership of the business, as well as taking over the strategic review of OBMedia.

Enero Group operating company CEO’s Heather Kernahan, Steve McArdle, Wai Kwok, and Raja Gupta, along with the Group functional heads, will now report to Ball.

Ball has over 40 years of international experience spanning consulting, technology, professional services, and private equity, having held senior leadership roles including EY Oceania’s Deputy CEO and Head of Markets, where he oversaw a $1.4 billion business. Throughout his tenure at EY, his responsibilities encompassed revenue generation, client management, business development, marketing, communications, and strategic acquisitions.

More recently, Ball was TEG’s Chief Operating Officer and Head of Strategy and M&A. Before this he was an Operating Partner at Silver Lake and CEO and Managing Director of ASX-listed global professional services business, Cardno.

Ball brings vast experience across Enero’s growth markets, including Asia, the UK, Europe, Australia, and the U.S., as well as leadership roles in major professional services companies.

“Ian is a highly accomplished executive with a proven track record of success in leading and growing substantial businesses,” says Ian Rowden, Enero Chair. “His deep understanding of the marketing and technology landscape, coupled with his experience in driving operational excellence, makes him ideally suited to lead Enero’s next phase of growth and innovation.

“I am particularly glad we have attracted someone with the qualification and background to coordinate and fast track our efforts to harness AI on behalf of our agencies and clients.”

Speaking of the appointment, Ball says: “I am excited to be joining Australia’s only listed marketing and communications business to lead the business through its next phase of growth. In particular, the quality of the individual business units, its talented staff, global reach and exposure to growth markets provide a very strong platform for value creation. I am looking forward to working with the Board, the Leadership Team, and meeting our people to unlock this potential.”