Melbourne, Australia – Brand experience and innovation company Akcelo has appointed Simon McCrudden, former chief strategy officer at HERO/McCann, to be its new partner, group brand strategy. This move aims to deepen the company’s brand capability across local and international markets.
In his new role, McCrudden will be based in the Melbourne office, working alongside Akcelo’s chief strategy officer and partner, Dave Di Veroli, and Jon Kenyon, Melbourne’s managing partner. He will also be overseeing brand strategy, research, and effectiveness for Akcelo’s portfolio of Australian and global clients across its network of offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and North America.
Aside from his previous stint at HERO/McCann, McCrudden has also served as executive planning director and chief strategy officer at BMF, McCann Worldgroup, and JWT. Prior to moving to Australia, he held a senior strategy position at Wieden + Kennedy London.
Commenting on his appointment, McCrudden said, “Having the chance to join Aden, Dave, Jon and the rest of the team was too good to pass up. Of every agency out there at the moment, I feel that Akcelo offers something truly unique, and an environment where I can continue to learn and grow. The scope and quality of their offer are second to none, and I look forward to helping them continue to redefine what marketers can expect their agency partners to deliver for them.”
Meanwhile, Di Veroli said, “Having Simon join the team helps round out Akcelo’s strategic firepower across CX, communications and brand planning. Blending his deep brand smarts with Akcelo’s innovative model, whilst also focusing on research and effectiveness, will only boost our team’s ability to deliver powerful brand experiences for our clients.”
Aden Hepburn, CEO at Akcelo, shared that brands have so many opportunities to build deep connections with consumers, but it has never been harder to create a memorable, lasting impact with them.
“Akcelo creates distinctive and holistic experiences that deliver outsized growth and impact and Simon’s extensive global and local experience at leading agencies, together with his creative drive, further boosts our ability to advance great outcomes for our clients,” said Hepburn.
In April 2022, Akcelo has been appointed by NASDAQ-listed online broker Tiger Brokers to be its new agency partner, as it launches the proprietary one-stop global investing platform Tiger Trade in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ).
