Paul Arena departs Ogilvy after three years for head of strategy role at AI platform Cuttable
Melbourne-based automated advertising agency Cuttable has appointed Paul Arena as head of strategy. Arena joins from Ogilvy, where he led strategy and planning, working with some of Australia’s most iconic brands.
With 18 years of experience, Arena has held key roles at TBWA and BWM Isobar, driving strategy for leading brands including Cadbury, AAMI, the Matildas, Toyota, Kmart and ANZ.
Says Jack White, co-CEO and co-founder of Cuttable: “Paul’s strategic brilliance is the cornerstone of great advertising, and now we’re bottling that expertise to supercharge our AI. By embedding his insights into the Cuttable platform, we’re not just replicating the thinking of a world-class strategist; we’re empowering every marketing team, big or small, to benefit from it. Paul’s influence will ensure our AI delivers sharper recommendations, more impactful creative, and a level of strategic precision that’s unmatched in the market.”
Arena shared his excitement about the potential of Cuttable: “Giving more brands access to the advantage creative advertising brings is a pretty cool mission. The ability to instantly generate advertising brings some game-changing benefits and interesting challenges. I can’t wait to explore both.”
Says Sam Kroonenburg, co-CEO and co-founder of Cuttable: “We’re beyond excited to welcome Paul to the Cuttable team. Paul’s industry reputation speaks for itself. His ability to combine strategic insights with creative excellence perfectly aligns with our vision of making top-tier advertising accessible to everyone through advances in AI and automation. We’re confident his leadership will elevate both the Cuttable platform and our customer experience.”
Cuttable was co-founded by Jack White, co-founder of Sunday Gravy; Ed Ring, former Swisse marketer and founder of Hector’s Deli; and Sam Kroonenburg, one of Australia’s most esteemed tech entrepreneurs and founder of A Cloud Guru, which sold for over $2 billion in 2021. In 2024, the Cuttable team secured $5.5M in investment, led by Square Peg, one of Australia’s largest venture capital firms.