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BURSON
Team PROFILE
Agency Type
Communications & PR
Ownership
WPP
tagline
Reinventing Reputation by Redefining How It’s Done
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Gemma Hudson
Group CEO (appointed in 2026)
Amelia Tipping
Head of client & growth, APAC
Jessie Gogan
Deputy market lead and head of consumer and brand
Marcha van den Heuvel
Head of corporate and public affairs
Anna O’Sullivan
Head of issues and reputation management
Simon Banks
Managing director, Hawker Britton
Matt Harris
Managing director, Barton Deakin
Michael Rhydderch
Head of sustainability
Key Stats
Offices
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth
Headcount
52
Gender Balance Staff
M: 38%
F: 62%
Gender Balance Leaders
M: 33%
F: 67%
Client book
Client Wins
78
Client Losses
4
Client retentions/extensions
3
Largest clients
Emirates
LG
Greenstone
Bronze Cannes Lion
Agency Scorecards report
Since rebranding in June 2024, Burson spent 2025 motoring on.
Tom Horn led the agency for the whole year but has since left with Gemma Hudson stepping up a group CEO.
The agency won 78 new client briefs, including AACo, ASUS, Google, Honor and Terry White Chemmart.
The agency’s 25-year relationship with Emirates grew.
On the departures lounge, the agency lost four clients, while several projects came to a conclusion.
Behind the scenes, the agency spent the year refining its own arrangement.
A refreshed, competency-based interview process and expanded diverse recruitment pathways fed into a leadership team skewing female (67 per cent), backed by a gender pay gap of 10.5 per cent that continues to narrow.
A hybrid three-day office model rounded out a year focused as much on the people playing the instruments as the music itself.
On the production side, Burson leaned further into its own studio equipment.
Work that stood out included positioning TCS as the “marathon technology engine” and Wendy’s ‘Redhead Redemption’. Burson also led strategic media relations for 1001 Optometry’s ‘Hidden Eye Test’.
Its Reputation Capital and Decipher AI tools underpinned much of the agency’s strategic output, while a growing focus on GEO aligns with where the industry is heading next.
The agency also found time to fine tune its own operations, migrating servers to WPP’s global cloud environment and opening a new Sydney office built around lower-carbon materials and green energy contracts.
Overall, 2025 is a set that hit most marks. But with new leadership and talks of WPP selling the agency, 2026 could be a defining year for the Burson team.
Hightlights reel
TCS: 'TCS Sydney Marathon'
Tasked with transforming the event into a B2B growth engine and elevating TCS’s brand resonance, our strategic narrative expertise proved indispensable.
Burson crafted stories and deployed a comprehensive content and execution system, including non-competitive activation and social strategies for the Marathon and Summit.
It positioned TCS as the “marathon’s technology engine,” integrating AI and digital capabilities like the RunConcierge (3,000+ engagements) to facilitate high-value B2B engagement with 457 companies.
The approach delivered a 540 per cent YoY increase in organic social impressions and over 13.3M+ total earned media audience reach. The success cultivated client trust, directly expanding Burson’s ongoing engagement with TCS.
Hightlights reel
1001 Optometry: 'Hidden Eye Test'
‘Hidden Eye Test’ campaign for 1001 Optometry tackled a critical public health challenge: widespread neglect of eye health in Australia. Partnering with 1001 Optometry and VML, Burson Australia spearheaded the strategic media relations for an innovative campaign featuring AI-developed billboards in high-footfall Sydney locations.
The billboards presented optical illusions that revealed a direct call to action only to those with out-of-focus vision, transforming a passive advertisement into an interactive health check.
The targeted outreach across health, news, culture, and lifestyle media secured widespread prime-time TV coverage, including a feature on the TODAY Show, elevating the billboard into a national conversation. This positioned 1001 Optometry as an innovative leader and advocate for public health, reinforcing the urgency of early eye care.
It earned global recognition with a Gold Lion in Industry Craft at Cannes Lions, validating the campaign’s execution and impact.
Hightlights reel
Wendy's:'Redhead Redemption'
Burson partnered with Wendy’s for its launch into the Australian market. Its strategic communications generating 390 pieces of media coverage and an astounding 381 million opportunities to see.
The campaign generated 99 per cent positive sentiment and 99 per cent key message penetration, but also resulted in sales 45 per cent above forecast in the Wendy’s store on the Gold Coast.
The integrated approach leveraged high-profile media placements across news, lifestyle and business publications, positioning Wendy’s as a formidable new player in the “burger wars” and cementing their return as a highly anticipated event after four decades.
The work exceeded commercial targets and embedded Wendy’s back into the Australian cultural conversation.
Burson's take on 2025
In 2025, Burson strengthened its position by redefining how reputation drives competitive advantage for businesses navigating increasingly complex global and local environments. Backed by local leadership and a clear strategic vision, we delivered strong, sustained performance across consumer, corporate and government practices, reinforcing our position as a truly integrated, cross-disciplinary agency across Australia.
Our connected approach to client work enabled us to expand remits with longstanding partners such as Emirates and TCS, while securing new relationships including ASUS and Honor – driven by consistent, measurable impact across earned, owned and influencer channels. By integrating strategy, creative and channel expertise, we delivered work that not only cut through but created lasting business value.
Powered by proprietary AI tools, Reputation Capital and Decipher, we generated predictive insights that underpinned standout campaigns, including the award-winning 1001 Optometry ‘Hidden Eye Test’ and the highly commended Wendy’s Australian launch.
At the core of this success is our 52-strong team, supported through robust learning and development, fostering a diverse, high-performing culture and strengthening our reputation as an innovative, strategic partner.
Connor Parker, Senior account director
Connor Parker defines Burson’s 2025 evolution.
Breaking silos, embedding AI with purpose, and becoming an indispensable, trusted client partner.
If we were a band, we'd be...
New Kids on the Block
Sounds ironic for an agency with decades of reputation expertise – but that’s exactly the point. Burson brings together the legacies of BCW and Hill & Knowlton to create something entirely new, grounded in Harold Burson’s enduring belief that reputation is every organisation’s most valuable asset.
But we’re anything but nostalgic…
We combine proven counsel with AI-powered intelligence, cultural fluency and modern creativity to help clients build, protect and grow reputation in a world that’s changing faster than ever. Old school foundations. Future-fit energy. That’s Burson.
Burson's
B&T's Agency Score
8
Previous season: N/A
Critic's Comment
“A solid year for the Burson team, underlined by strong new business success and consistently good work.”