Paul Coghlan announced as ECD of Marketforce with Pat Lennox and Ben Green to depart in June

Paul Coghlan (pictured), currently executive creative director at J. Walter Thompson Perth, will move to Marketforce as ECD following the departure of Pat Lennox and Ben Green, who are leaving in June to start their own consultancy. 

The pair shared their intentions with Marketforce management in early January, to provide advance notice for the agency to find a new creative leader. 

Creative chairman of Clemenger BBDO, James McGrath reflected on their eight years by saying: “In both we have been the beneficiary of wonderful creative integrity through deep intelligence.”

Coghlan has had a long association with Clemenger, having started in the despatch department as the top graduate for Copy School in Sydney. Prior to joining JWT Perth, Coghlan was Creative Director at Meerkats, where he spent more than eight years, winning a raft of local and international awards for his work across a range of major brands. 

Robert Morgan, Clemenger Group Executive Chairman described Coghlan as a new age creative leader totally comfortable with the opportunities and challenges presented to creativity and the digital/data age. He is also a highly engaging educator, investing time lecturing and tutoring. Last year was appointed Head of Award School in Perth, the pre-eminent training program for aspiring Creatives. 

“Paul joins our wonderful generation of brilliant leaders, uniquely having worked with four of them at different times, Evan Roberts and Stephen de Wolf at Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, Ant White at CHEP and Levi Slavin at Colenso BBDO” said McGrath. 

During Coghlan’s career he has worked on brands such as RAC, iiNet, Mercedes Benz, Telecom NZ, Lotterywest, HBF, Murdoch University, Brownes Dairy, and launched P&N Bank in WA.

Newly appointed Marketforce Chairman and acting CEO Jim Gall said Coghlan would be a key architect of the Agency’s new era in Perth.

“Paul will bring great creative leadership to the Clemenger BBDO Network, as well as further enhancing our reputation as the most powerful creative network in Australasia”.

Coghlan with Marketforce creatives Neil Martin, Hayden Griffiths and Matt Wilson at Campaign Brief WA’s Legendary Lunch in November last year.