McCann beefs up planning capability with multi-disciplinary hires across Melbourne and Sydney
Hot on the heels of McCann being named Australia’s top-ranked creative effectiveness agency in the global Warc 100, McCann has announced a significant investment in the agency’s integrated planning offering.
The agency has boosted the multi-disciplinary expertise of its planning ranks across the Melbourne and Sydney offices with the appointment of David Phillips (left) as strategy director of McCann Melbourne, complemented by the promotion of Roshni Hegerman (centre) to strategy director of McCann Sydney. Further bolstering the team is Lachlan James (right), who joins as planning director of the Sydney office following stints in New York and London.
Phillips brings over 15 years of mostly client-side experience, leading global blue-chip consumer firms locally and globally. His most recent role before joining McCann was senior strategic planner at Whybin\TBWA Melbourne with previous roles including global brand business director at Treasury Wine Estates, senior brand manager at Penfolds and innovation manager at Cadbury among others.
Phillips also brings proven entrepreneurial experience as founder and director of The Meadow (an innovative and creative research organisation) and Taly (a progressive psychometric organisation), as well as experience leading strategic projects for financial services, retail, automotive and public sectors.
In Sydney, James has recently returned from New York where he worked as group director of strategy at McGarryBowen. Prior to that he was based in London as head of strategy at Collective London.
He is an integrated strategist, with core expertise in digital, social, mobile, eCom, digital shopper, CRM and on/offline brand experience.
McCann’s growing planning department boasts multi-disciplinary expertise and global experience. Hegerman, who steps up to strategy director of McCann Sydney after nine months as senior planner, has global experience from working in her native US, as well as China and India, across clients including Pepsico, HP, Wrigley’s, SC Johnson, HP and Aviva.
Says Ash Farr, CEO, McCann Australia: “Planning is not a one-size-fits-all discipline. And neither are the challenges facing our clients and their brands. To be a true partner we need to be able to have a diverse skill set to marry against the problem, whether that be behavioural economics, data, or quantitative or qualitative research. The addition of Lachlan and David is a demonstration of this strategy.”
Says Phillips: “So many of us have spent time coveting McCann’s work, so naturally I’m thrilled to be joining the team in Melbourne. Beyond this though, I couldn’t be more excited by the focus and investment in consumer insight and strategic thought leadership from Ben and Ash.
“Never has the desire for world-class brand and consumer-centric strategic thinking been greater from our clients, and McCann now has the strategic team in place to complement one of the region’s most successful creative and digital teams.”
Recent account wins for McCann Australia include AGL, Victorian Workcover Authority, City of Melbourne, Nimble, Pacific Brands Workwear and L’Oreal Paris Digital among others in Melbourne, and Sprite, Microsoft, Hollard, Defence Housing Australia and Solaris Paper in Sydney.
5 Comments
More planners – watch the creative output go down.
Creative output go south aren’t because of the planners, the account servicing suits are the worse, dummy.
Suits are the reasons, not planners.
@ Suits said
You can barely write. I reckon you’re the dummy. Or actually a f*ckwit.
But yes, suits who are more like glorified administrators with no old school ability to sell anything are also the problem.
@Suits
You can barely write. Perhaps you’re the dummy.
But yes, suits with no old school ability to sell ideas or treat them with value is also a major problem. They’re becoming more like administrators. Despite all the PowerPoint slides and bullshit buzzwords we have these days, the thing we still have to sell and make a money out of is ideas.