VMLY&R snares Thomas Tearle from Isobar for Chief Executive Officer Australia & New Zealand role; Jon Bird promoted to Executive Chairman

WPP AUNZ and VMLY&R have today announced the appointment of Thomas Tearle as CEO for VMLY&R Australia & New Zealand. Current CEO Jon Bird will remain within the business moving to executive chairman.

Tearle joins VMLY&R as the brand and customer experience business continues to grow, focusing upon developing outstanding digital, CX and commerce capabilities (with the recent addition of VMLY&R Commerce) for brands across the region. Tearle will also become a key member of the WPP AUNZ brand leadership team reporting to WPP AUNZ CEO Jens Monsees and globally through VMLY&R to Beth Wade, global chief marketing officer.

Current CEO Jon Bird will remain within the business moving to executive chairman, working alongside Tearle to continue to drive client strategy and growth across VMLY&R. Bird will also devote more time to VMLY&R global leadership team responsibilities.

Tearle joins VMLY&R in May after seven years with digital agency Isobar, most recently as managing director, where he was responsible for the mergers of both Soap Creative and WiTH Collective into the business. Previous to Isobar, he held senior roles with agencies in the UK and Australia including Wunderman Thompson, where he led the Coca-Cola partnership.

Says Monsees: “Tom’s world-class experience in delivering truly effective connected digital experiences is a real boost to WPP AUNZ’s already impressive leadership capacity.

“I look forward to working closely with Tom to define the next stage of VMLY&R’s journey within the WPP AUNZ portfolio of brands.

“Combining cutting-edge technology with our world-class creative capabilities is what sets WPP AUNZ apart, and Tom’s appointment is indicative of the strength of our vision. It’s also great to have him back in the WPP AUNZ fold.”

Incoming CEO Thomas Tearle said he was honoured to take the next stage in his career with such an iconic brand as VMLY&R: “After seven incredible years at Isobar building the businesses in Sydney and Canberra, this is the perfect opportunity for me to help take the VMLY&R business to its next stage, as customer expectations of seamless digital, brand and commerce experiences have really accelerated over the last twelve months.

“The combination of developing exceptional capability and delivering ground-breaking work from VMLY&R over the last few years has put the business in pole position to help clients capitalise upon these opportunities, and I’m so very excited to shape the next chapter in that journey.”

Says Bird: “I am thrilled to welcome Thomas to the VMLY&R executive team. VMLY&R is all about ‘Creating Connected Brands’ for our clients, and Tom’s expertise in building innovative digital platforms and experiences will help continue to deliver on that promise.

“It’s gratifying to be able to hand over the day-to-day leadership to such a high-calibre individual, to best answer what clients are looking for today.”