VMLY&R Melbourne bolsters strategy offering with hires across brand, digital, CX, data + social

(Pictured L-R: Dan Brown, Anup Bale, Josh Swingler, Lauren Isaak, and Ken Chan)

Following a spate of other senior hires, Dan Brown has joined VMLY&R Melbourne as senior strategist, further strengthening the agency’s strategic capability.

Brown joins VMLY&R from McCann and will be responsible for delivering brand strategy across DFR and clients including Australian Unity and the Department of Transport.

Says Brown: “As soon as you speak to the team here you can sense that they’re onto a good thing. They’re also bloody lovely too. I’m thrilled to be joining a diverse and incredibly talented team, and can’t wait to get stuck into the business end of things.”

Brown’s hire is the latest in a string of appointments made since strategy director Ken Chan joined VMLY&R Melbourne last March, and is part of a push to grow the department based on the evolving needs of the agency’s clients. Over the past 12 months VMLY&R Melbourne has grown its remit across Australia Post, Monash University, Australian Unity and Department of Transport, as well as securing new business with Defence Force Recruiting, Crown Resorts and Ford creating a need for additional capabilities in both traditional strategy as well as digital, CX, and data.

As part of this growth, over the past year the agency has also hired senior digital strategist Josh Swingler, business analyst Amy Dromgoole, data analyst Anup Bale and strategist Lauren Isaak.

Says Chan: “Our goal is to build a team that can bring a diversity of perspectives and experiences to solving problems for our clients. Whether it’s an advertising, CX, digital or pure business issue – we want to keep attracting resourceful thinkers who can challenge us and our clients to create better work that works.”

Says Jon Kenyon, managing partner VMLY&R Melbourne: “We have worked really hard on building out a strong strategic practice in the agency over the last 12 months and we’re now starting to see the results in the work. Cross disciplinary teams are a requirement in today’s landscape, as our clients’ needs shift and change.”

VMLY&R Melbourne counts Defence Force Recruiting, Australia Post, MTIA, Department of Transport, Australian Unity, Ford and Vocus among its client roster.