Leadership Shift at R/GA: Seamus Higgins exits, Prue Jones and Ben Yabsley appointed ECDs

R/GA Australia has announced the departure of chief creative officer Seamus Higgins, alongside the appointment of two new executive creative directors to help shape the agency’s next chapter.

Prue Jones has joined as national executive creative director, experience design, following more than nine years with Accenture Song, where she served as design and creative director. During her time there, she was part of the leadership team and led strategic creative and digital engagements across Australia and New Zealand.

Joining her is Ben Yabsley, who returns to R/GA as national executive creative director. Yabsley previously worked at R/GA New York as a creative director, and most recently held the role of group creative director at Dentsu Creative New York.

Both Jones and Yabsley will join the R/GA Australia executive team, working alongside managing director Victoria Curro, executive strategy director Marie Conley, chief design officer APAC Ben Miles, and chief technology officer APAC Guill Rodas.

Higgins, who is returning to the UK for personal reasons, rejoined R/GA in 2023 following time in London where he spent time with family and freelanced, including a seven-month stint at Uncommon Creative Studio. In this interview with CB at the time, he described the period as a “leadership sabbatical,” using it to reflect on what he wanted from the second half of his career.

Recognised on AdAge’s Creative All-Stars list, Higgins is one of the industry’s most awarded creative leaders. His work on The Palau Pledge earned two D&AD Black Pencils, three Cannes Lions Grand Prix, and was later named D&AD’s Design Black Pencil of the Decade. He also led some of the most successful campaigns for Australian Defence Force Recruiting, resulting in a Grand Effie.

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