Independent full-service media agency Bench Media has appointed Andrea Samuel as strategy lead.
In her new role, Samuel will lead Bench’s strategy offering, partnering with clients to connect business objectives with customer understanding, market and competitive insights and media strategy.
Samuel brings more than 20 years of experience spanning business, brand and marketing strategy across Australia and Asia-Pacific. Throughout her career, she has partnered with brands including Samsung, L’Oréal, Ferrero, Abbott, Mondelēz, LVMH and Citi. Her strategic work has been recognised with industry awards, including Cannes recognition and an Effie Award for the inaugural Samsung Galaxy Camera campaign. Most recently, Samuel served as a business director for WPP.
“Andrea brings an exceptional ability to connect business strategy, customer experience and media in a way that’s both data-first and commercially focused. Her experience strengthens how we partner with clients from the earliest stages of strategic thinking through to execution and measurement, ensuring every recommendation is outcome driven,” said Bench Media client growth director Jessica Torstensson.
“Bench has never seen its role as simply planning and buying media for clients. The best outcomes come from understanding a client’s business challenge, developing a deep understanding of customers, the market and the competitive landscape, and then making smarter media investment decisions,” said Bench Media founder and chief executive Ori Gold.
“Andrea brings exactly that mindset to the table. She’ll help us ask better questions, identify new opportunities and deliver even stronger commercial outcomes for our clients.
“Beyond her impressive experience, what really stood out was her curiosity, strategic thinking and collaborative approach. She’s a fantastic fit for our team and our clients.”
“Today’s marketers are navigating rapid advances in technology, changing customer expectations and growing pressure to demonstrate market impact,” said Samuel.
“What attracted me to Bench was its genuinely strategic approach and its ambition to help clients solve business challenges, not just marketing ones. The team has built a strong reputation for combining independent thinking with measurable outcomes, and I’m excited to help further strengthen that proposition.”
