Clemenger BBDO has lured Stephen de Wolf, known affectionately in the industry as “Wolfie”, away from rival BMF, appointing him as its new National Chief Creative Officer.
The hire marks a powerful homecoming for de Wolf, one of Australia’s most respected and awarded creative leaders, who previously held the CCO role at Clemenger BBDO Melbourne. His return reunites him with the agency that helped define his career, including the globally lauded ‘Meet Graham’ campaign for the Transport Accident Commission, one of the most awarded campaigns of all time.
“This is the agency that defined me. Now I get to be part of the team redefining it,” said de Wolf. “Coming back feels like coming home to the place where I’ve done some of my most meaningful work, with people who believe in creativity’s power to move culture and drive results”.
De Wolf served as CCO at BMF for just over a year. BMF CEO Stephen McArdle praised de Wolf’s leadership. “Wolfie is a great creative leader who has helped us maintain the positive momentum we’ve built up at BMF in his short time with us. We’re disappointed he won’t be here to write the next chapter, but we wish him nothing but the best, as he takes on the challenge at Clemenger in three months’ time”.
He added that BMF’s creative department remains strong, with a deep bench of world-class talent and plans to bolster leadership further as the agency enters a phase of significant growth.
“Fortunately for us, we have an incredible creative department packed with world-class talent and strong creative leadership already in place. And as we move into a period of significant growth, we’ll be focused on enhancing that creative leadership with talent that shares our belief in enduring ideas that drive marketing effectiveness and fame for our incredible clients and their brands”.
At Clemenger BBDO, de Wolf will partner closely with CEO Lee Leggett as the agency pushes forward with its ‘Do Big Things’ positioning, an ambition to drive end-to-end creativity and measurable business impact.
“Wolfie’s return is more than a hire, it’s a statement,” said Leggett. “He’s not just a world-class creative. He’s someone who knows the heart of this agency and believes in what we’re building. His leadership will help shape the Clemenger of tomorrow”.
Over a career spanning more than two decades and three continents, de Wolf has held senior creative roles at DDB Australia, BBH London, and bespoke Omnicom agency Smith Street. His client portfolio includes prominent companies such as McDonald’s, Westpac, Samsung, Burger King, Coles, Volkswagen, Airbnb, and Audi.
His return also comes at a pivotal moment for the business, as Clemenger’s parent company, Omnicom, is in talks to acquire the remaining 13.16 per cent stake in Clemenger Group and take full ownership.
The proposed acquisition, set for a shareholder vote on 30 June, could signal a broader restructuring in the Oceania region, potentially uniting Omnicom’s media and creative arms under a single leadership structure, with former Clemenger BBDO CEO Nick Garrett tipped to lead.
If approved, the move would align Omnicom’s operations in Australia and New Zealand with global trends and could serve as a test case for a unified creative-media model, all while Omnicom prepares for a global merger with Interpublic Group that would make it the world’s largest advertising holding company.
De Wolf will join Clemenger in three months, bringing with him not only a global track record but a deeply personal connection to the agency he now reclaims as his creative home.
