Australia – Ogilvy has appointed Kirsty Muddle as chief executive officer for its Australia and New Zealand operations. She will lead the Ogilvy Network ANZ across its full range of capabilities, including advertising, PR, social and influencer, customer engagement, consulting, and health.
Muddle joins from Dentsu, where she currently serves as CEO of Practices & Products for Australia and New Zealand. In that role, she oversaw Dentsu’s creative, PR, government, customer experience, Salesforce, data, technology, commerce, and B2B marketing and media functions. She is set to begin her new role at Ogilvy in early 2026.
With more than 25 years of experience in the industry, Muddle has held leadership roles across both emerging and established organisations. She was a founding partner at cummins&partners, where she spent 11 years building the agency’s creative reputation, and previously worked at Mindshare in both the UK and Australia.
She also serves on the boards of the Australian Council of Advertising (ACA), the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), and Ridgeway, an Indigenous social change agency.
Speaking on her appointment, Muddle said, “Ogilvy is a place where every leader I’ve encountered has a strong point of view, saw change as an opportunity, and spoke with clarity about AI, data and integration but wasn’t lost in it. Importantly, they also never forgot why this business was born – the power of creativity to drive growth. That enduring belief made Ogilvy feel like home. I’m humbled to partner with an incredible set of clients and the exceptional talent within both Ogilvy and WPP to harness the network’s full power and collectively move us all forward into what’s next.”
Meanwhile, Laurent Ezekiel, global CEO of the Ogilvy Group, commented, “Kirsty has an undeniable track record of delivering real value and impact for clients. She deeply understands the complex challenges businesses face today and champions creativity not just for its own sake, but as a powerful force that can solve those challenges.”
He added, “Her ability to build strong, trusting relationships with clients, always putting their needs first, and her knack for bringing together diverse capabilities – from social and influencer to cutting-edge technology and data – to create truly impactful solutions, makes her an exceptional leader for Ogilvy in this key market. I look forward to working with her as we enter this next exciting chapter for Ogilvy.”
Rose Herceg, WPP President for Australia and New Zealand, added, “When we searched for Ogilvy’s new leader, we felt we were asking for a unicorn – a modern marketer built for the emerging world, with strong business experience across the communications spectrum. In Kirsty, we found that rare blend; a genuine love for creativity that moves mountains, coupled with experience harnessing the disciplines that creativity needs to thrive in a dynamic, fast-moving media landscape. She was truly a standout choice, and we can’t wait to see the impact she’ll have at Ogilvy, bringing the kind of fresh, entrepreneurial perspective every business needs to stay ahead.”
Muddle replaces Sally Kissane, who stepped down as CEO in July after three decades with Ogilvy. Her appointment comes as Ogilvy continues to expand its regional footprint, recently adding Tourism New Zealand and Specsavers to its client roster.
