Australia – Enero Group, a global marketing and technology agency network, has named Ian Ball as its first chief operating officer (COO), effective February 17.
In this newly established role, Ball will report to Enero Chair Ian Rowden and succeed outgoing CEO Brent Scrimshaw. He will be responsible for the company’s operational and financial leadership and will also lead the strategic review of OBMedia.
Enero Group’s operating company CEOs—Heather Kernahan, Steve McArdle, Wai Kwok, and Raja Gupta—along with the Group’s functional heads, will now report to Ball.
Ball has more than 40 years of experience in consulting, technology, professional services, and private equity. He previously served as EY Oceania’s deputy CEO and head of markets, overseeing a $1.4b business with responsibilities spanning revenue generation, client management, business development, marketing, communications, and strategic acquisitions. He has also held leadership roles in major professional services firms and worked across key markets, including Asia, the UK, Europe, Australia, and the U.S.
Before joining Enero Group, Ball served as TEG’s COO and head of strategy and M&A. He previously held roles as an operating partner at Silver Lake and as CEO and managing director of Cardno, an ASX-listed global professional services firm.
Speaking on his appointment, Ball shared, “I am excited to be joining Australia’s only listed marketing and communications business to lead the business through its next phase of growth. In particular, the quality of the individual business units, their talented staff, global reach and exposure to growth markets provide a very strong platform for value creation. I am looking forward to working with the board, the leadership team, and meeting our people to unlock this potential.”
Ball’s appointment comes shortly after Enero introduced its refreshed brand positioning, ‘Free Thinkers United.’ The new positioning underscores the Group’s focus on independent thinking and its approach to blending strategic precision with creativity to address key challenges for high-growth clients worldwide.
Enero Group chair Rowden commented, “Ian is a highly accomplished executive with a proven track record of success in leading and growing substantial businesses. His deep understanding of the marketing and technology landscape, coupled with his experience in driving operational excellence, makes him ideally suited to lead Enero’s next phase of growth and innovation.
“I am particularly glad we have attracted someone with the qualifications and background to coordinate and fast-track our efforts to harness AI on behalf of our agencies and clients,” added Rowden.
