One of Australia’s largest media and communications agency, OMD Australia has announced a new co-leadership structure after the internal promotion of Laura Nice and Sian Whitnall to the position of joint CEOs.
The announcement comes four months after former OMD CEO, Aimee Buchanan was snapped up to become the CEO of GroupM Australia & New Zealand.
Nice and Whitnall will share responsibility for the agency’s national assets, guiding a workforce of more than 600 people.
Nice, who first joined OMD as the business director of Telstra account in 2012, said in a statement that as an ‘OMD Boomeranger’ – “I know firsthand the benefits of working for a culture as strong as OMD Australia’s.”
“To be given the opportunity to lead the next chapter with Sian is a proud moment, as we strive to build on OMD’s current success and momentum,” she said.
Two years after starting at the agency, Nice relocated to the UK to become the group head at Vizeum, followed by head of consultancy and development for Omnicom Media Group’s Annalect.
In 2019, she returned to Australia as the joint managing director of the agency’s Sydney office.
“Personally, I’m excited to focus on the depth and breadth of our client relationships and identify growth opportunities for our people to further develop their capability and evolve our offering for the future,” she added.
Sian Whitnall, who specialises in future-facing products, joined OMD in 2013 as an interactive director, where she created a digital transformation initiative, OMD Navigate, which has driven solid business results for clients.
“I feel so passionately about OMD so it’s an absolute privilege for Laura and myself to be given the opportunity to lead the agency,” the former chief digital officers at OMD said.
“I am excited to continue working alongside OMD’s incredible talent, to grow the capability within the brand and to drive growth for our clients in areas that will have the most impact for their businesses.”
Peter Horgan, CEO of Omnicom Media Group ANZ, called the two new CEOs, “phenomenal leaders.”
“Laura and Sian are proven performers and passionate OMDers,” he said.
“They have been fundamental to OMD’s ongoing growth and success over recent years and are embedded across all areas of the business.”
“Together, their complementary skillsets and ability to work as a team, is exactly what OMD needs for the future of our business. OMD has a history of success with leadership partnerships and given the size and scale of OMD Australia, there is no better time to revisit this winning formula.”