Former Clemenger BBDO CEO Nick Garrett joins Deloitte Digital as new creative partner
Australia’s leading digital creative consultancy Deloitte Digital has announced the appointment of globally renowned creative business executive Nick Garrett, leading the growing Deloitte Creative business from Sydney.
Garrett, who departed Clemenger BBDO over two years ago, joins Adrian Mills and Matt Lawson as the third partner in Deloitte Creative, focussed on connecting creativity across the Deloitte business and client base.
Says Adrian Mills, partner, Deloitte Creative: “Matt and I have been looking for a Sydney-based partner to make this duo a trio for the last three years. And in our opinion, with Nick we’re getting the most accomplished creative business leader in the country, which is quite humbling. To have Nick on the same team, working toward the same goal at a time when we have so much momentum, is a step-change for the creative business and Deloitte Australia.”
Garrett is best known for his love of ‘ideas and the creative product’ and he is the only Australian agency CEO to lead two creative agencies to the number 1 ranking in the world – and involved in work that has won close to 200 Cannes Lions. In his time as CEO of Colenso BBDO, the agency nearly trebled in size, while twice achieving the most creative agency in the world accolade. Garrett, who transferred to Clemenger BBDO Melbourne from Colenso BBDO Auckland in 2015, helped diversify its offer, and grew the business significantly. During his tenure he also helped push the high creative standards the agency set itself, becoming the only Australian agency in history to be named ‘Creative Agency of the Year’ at Cannes and D&AD, while also being named global creative agency of the year and the world’s most effective in the WARC 100.
Says Matt Lawson, chief creative officer, Deloitte Digital APAC: “Nick Garrett is a revolutionary, and it’s an understatement to say that I’m ecstatic about him joining us as a partner and what that means for Deloitte Australia. Deloitte is focussed on creating a new type of growth for clients, new growth that produces profit through purpose and innovation, and scale that’s sustainable, yet abundant. Nick’s the perfect person to help champion this change.”
Garrett’s appointment comes at a time of great excitement for Deloitte Digital, with the local business now employing over 800 digital and creative specialists across Australia.
Says Angela Robinson, experience and marketing partner, Deloitte: “Nick joins our team at a critical moment where we see creativity as an all of Deloitte Digital play. We have infused it into our design, technology and strategy practices and it is a key differentiator for our clients. Creative excellence lifts our impact beyond delivering a technology platform to solving our client’s most important challenges in a way where it adds the most value to their business and helps differentiate them.“
Says Nick Garrett, new creative partner at Deloitte: “I am hugely excited to join Deloitte Digital and partner with Adrian and Matt. Their vision to solve bigger problems with creative thinking is the right thing at the right time, and the perfect opportunity for me personally to jump back into the industry.
“I have loved the last eighteen months working for myself consulting across a huge variety of clients, from large, established organisations through to up-and-coming start-ups. But there are some things that instantly feel right, and joining the Deloitte Digital team is one of them.”
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, enjoying a successful Cannes Lions result and winning Campaign Brief’s The Work Australian Creative Agency on the Year.
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.
Garrett’s appointment is effective immediately.
65 Comments
Absolute weapon.
Bravo!
Boom!
He is back baby!!!!!!!
What a win for Matt & Adrian. A weapon of a creative leader, nice one Nick.
Nick, massive congrats you legend. Great news.
Firstly, congratulations both Nick and Deloitte. But for clarity, it is important to get the facts right. Nick ran a great agency in NZ, which had been set up by his predecessors, namely Brent Smart, and Wortho, amongst others. He kept the agency motoring. Then he was moved to Melbourne, where the work that had made the Agency hit the heights of AOTY at Cannes and One Show had already been done. Hey basically went to Cannes to pick up the gongs of others. Not long thereafter, the agency exploded, and has never hit those heights again. No doubt Nick is a hurricane of energy. But it is also important to get the facts straight, as claims in press releases can soon become fact it we are not too careful.
@ re-write. So true. Kudos to you for correcting a creatively written press release.
Congrats Nick 🙂
he’s always seen himself as a creative. now with ‘creative’ in the title there’ll be no holding him back
good luck NG
Nick is a brilliant force of nature but he’s a force in this part of the world. I get Deloitte want to big him up but let’s keep it real.
Always in the game, if not one step ahead.
Great stuff, Nick – seriously one of the best ‘creatives’ I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
…are the biggest op to roll yourself in the glitter of other people’s work. Get it if you can.
Agree with ReWrite….
Nick is a passionate adman, but doesn’t deserve the credit for Clems Melbourne’s Cannes Lions achievements. He wasn’t there when the work was originated or presented or produced. Under his watch Clems lost a lot of business and good people. Hope he has learned from the experience going forward and best of luck to him.
Congratulations Nick and well done Millsy and Matt. A great get for Deloitte.
Timing maketh the man
…interesting how traditional creative agencies across the globe are shrinking at an astonishing rate, axing Global CCO’s and bloated award budgets quicker than a burnt out CD can down an over priced Rose at the The Carlton…all while the consultancies are racing to become ‘creative companies’ by hiring people who aren’t creatives to be their creative leaders.
Congrats mate, awesome stuff!
I think its easy to go to a large corporation rather than make your own thing work. Nick I loved the sound of the business you were creating
A meal ticket.
Easy street.
Fame.
All ready made. All without the personal hard graft.
But he is going to work for the accountants.
Nick is a force of nature and those who have worked for him know this. Deloitte are by far the most interesting of the consultancies playing in the AdWorld.
This is a paring with so much potential
The most interesting agency just got the most creatively rigorous CEO. That’s a combo that should have some of the old school power houses quaking
Congrats Nick, really exciting.
The guy’s brain and energy and next level. I’m just glad this is happening on the other side of the Tasman.
Congrats mate!
One of the worlds very best. Deloitte are incredibly lucky to have you. Know you will achieve EPIC things dude. Looking forward to hearing all. X
Nobody’s perfect. Nick’s track record is exemplary and he’ll kick ass in this role.
I just hope Adrian and Matt know what they’re in for. Nick will push them both really hard, in a brilliant way.
@Re-Write. You are mostly correct, but in fact the mastermind was Colenso founder, Roger MacDonnell who hired both Wortho and Smart.
MacDonnell was heavily involved in the day to day of the agency right up until the day he left. And let’s not forget that under Smart, the BNZ fired the agency.
Further, Nick Garrett worked under Jim Moser who was Chairman/CEO of the Auckland agency. Garrett also took over an already successful agency in Melbourne.
Just saying. Truth and not breathless spin please.
I’ve worked with Nick. I’ve hoped to work with him again. Huge respect to him. And his sneakers.
Congratulations Nick. This is the perfect role for you and the next chapter in a successful career. I look forward to see what happens next. Well done!
Some seriously jealous and bitter people in these comments. I can only speak from an NZ perspective – but there is no doubt that Nick made Colenso what it was. He’s an absolute relentless powerhouse and pushes people to their potential daily. Smarty and Wortho are great (and Wortho deserves miles of credit for the success), but the agency under Smarty was nowhere near the levels of professional success from a financial, client relationship and creative perspective as it was under Nick.
Deloitte is a genuinely interesting operation now, in such a short time, having Nick will take it to the next level. Nick’s record is incredible, and they’re lucky to have him. Congrats Nick. Well done Deloitte.
Nick should absolutely take credit for Colenso’s success during those times. He raised an already high bar to dizzying heights. And I thank him for that and hope to work with him again one day. It turns out that’s now at Deloitte.
He’s a legend. That’s all. Congrats Nick! See you in Bondi no doubt.
If that’s genuinely your view of things then I really hope you don’t have any real responsibilities in your day to day life. Because, dude, you sound aggressively dimwitted.
In fairness, the relevant poster offered what they claimed were facts to justify their position. I have no idea if their assertions are correct. However at least, unlike you, they didn’t just offer up negativity and personal abuse.
Best leader I have ever worked under heading to the only place in Aus right now with limitless ambition and pockets to match. The old school sydney agencies must have just collectively soiled themselves.
I worked for most of Smarty’s time and most of Nicks time. Smarty was amazing. Nick was a different stratosphere. There will be lots of folks who don’t like him but for those of us that bought into and followed his approach, i doubt any of us have ever worked for better.
Before Colenso or Clems, Nick did great things at BMF back in the day.
Good to see him back in the game.
One of the best. And there aren’t many up there with him. Congrats Garrett.
Nick, congrats mate! You are going to dominate in this role, can’t wait to see what you create and how the offering evolves under your leadership. All the best.
What a fantastic new adventure! Go out there and smash it. Onwards!!!
The best leader I have ever had the pleasure of working with, joining the upstart consultancy for whom the sky is the limit in terms of what they could achieve.
Cannot imagine a better combination, and cannot wait to see what they’re going to make together.
In a world where other high profile start ups are in chaos due to the behaviour of their named partners, Nick stands so far apart from those sort of folks. He is an equal opportunity asshole, and I mean that in the best way possible. He would drive and demand the most from *all* of us, regardless of age, gender, creed.
He’s an inspiring man and I am genuinely excited to see what he can create there, because if ‘Partner’ was not his official title then ‘Alchemist’ would have been an equally appropriate one, he turns every he touches into metal
Not much more to say other than that
Anyone who was there (and who doesn’t have a personal grievance) knows that several of the award-winning ideas that dominated for Clems in 2017 would not have been the shape they were or have the volition they did without Garrett’s involvement and maddening pushes – regardless of whether he was accountable for every element of their inception.
Huge! Congrats Nick.
Nick has had a good career but let’s not overstate his achievements. Deloitte isn’t betting the farm on this. At Deloitte Digital Nick will be one of many sharks swimming in a much bigger pool.
There’s only one Nick Garrett, one Matt Lawson and one Adrian Mills… very exciting for the industry and ground breaking work. Congrats Nick.
Nick’s energy, brain and total focus on the quality of the output took Colenso from a great agency, to one with a better creative and effective hit rate than potentially any other in history. Sure, at Colenso and at Clems he was surrounded by talent – creative and otherwise, but all agencies have those things. Turning it into world class success stories for them and their clients consistently over 10 years in two agencies across 2 countries isn’t an accident. It’s talent, skill and haaard work. It won’t be an accident when he’s in the thick of success stories with the Deloitte team and their clients.
Anyone who doesn’t realise Nick Garrett is one of the most formidable, brilliant and inspiring operators in the country needs to have their heads bloody read.
So proud of you mate.
Nice one Nick. All the best in your new role.
Great hire. Congrats Nick and Deloitte
Huge congrats mate, all the best.
Sx
One of the best in the game, and this feel like a really exciting opportunity. Cannot wait to see what he puts together.
Im sure you’ll love working for Nick!
The whole ad industry and everyone industry needs to get a grip on themselves.
The very fact you’re all harping back to the good old days of smarty and wortho is an indictment on where you’re all at. With your heads up your arse on what’s really happening.
Rockstars and weapons. Cliches the industry has been using for more than 20 years now and for an industry that thinks its at the cutting edge, it hasn’t moved an inch in two decades. It’s no wonder the industry is unravelling when the best you can all do is get nostalgic for the past.
Try and get yourselves into 2021 people. Move on.
Let them waste their time debating the past while they cry into their pots of VB. All of the Deloitte client wins and award winning work will define the future. Congrats mate. Can’t wait to see just how well this goes.
Great news for Deloitte. Nick G is a gun. Congratulations on a great hire.
That may be true. But so what? There is, apparently, a very capable guy getting plugged into a dynamic business and people think he may have a significant impact. Would you be more impressed if they hired a dud?
One of them literally has worked for him in the past. And, on this occasions they are clearly them all at the same level.
I know, words are hard, but perhaps next time double check what the words you are commenting on mean before you make yourself look like quite such a dimwit
Sky’s the limit now Nick. Massive congrats mate.
The arguments about whether Nick made Colenso better are silly (I was there and obviously he did) when you look at how Colenso has fallen apart since he left. Legend
Both Colenso and Clems were very, very good when he was there.
Both Colenso and Clems have gotten noticeably, provably worst in the time since he has left.
Deloitte have gotten their hands on a truly rare leader here.