WPP’s Mediaedge:cia (MEC) has hired Peter Vogel as national managing director of Australia to replace Adrian Smith, who has resigned from the helm of the Sydney-based agency.
Smith, the current general manager of MEC Sydney, has worked under the WPP banner for more than a decade. He will relocate to Melbourne in the new year to be closer to family.
Meanwhile, Vogel will step into the newly-created position from the group’s Asia Pacific offices, where he worked for a year as chief strategy officer based in Singapore.
Prior to that, Vogel helped found South African communications agency Nota Bene.
In his new role, Vogel will focus on developing the MEC brand in Australia while continuing to head up strategy for MEC Asia Pacific. He will also remain on MEC’s Global Integrated Planning Board.
Joost Dop, chief executive of MEC Asia Pacific, said: “With Peter’s experience and success in setting up one of the world’s leading communications agencies in South Africa, I am very confident that he will take MEC to a new level of strategic client service – competition is tough, but that gives us all the more reason to aim high”.
Vogel added: “I am very excited about my move to Australia as it is one of MEC’s key focus markets in Asia Pacific. Our Australian operation is well developed with an excellent track record in integrated communications planning. We already have an extremely strong team, with Peter Bucklow heading our operations in Adelaide and Sweetian Ang leading our Strategic product in Sydney. I look forward to working with them to further develop the MEC brand and business in Australia”.
