Ben Skelsey didn’t set out to work in banking, but with a resume that spans luxury cars, health and beauty giants, telcos and financial services, he’s no stranger to complex categories or high expectations. Now, as head of marketing – advertising at ANZ, he’s bringing a storyteller’s eye and a strategist’s mind to one of the most competitive spaces in the market.
CMOs to Watch, presented by Zenith, spotlights the visionaries leading the charge. This series delves into the strategies and perspectives of CMOs who are setting new standards, pushing boundaries, and driving impact in ways that redefine what it means to be a leader in marketing today.
Skelsey’s career began in-house at Mercedes-Benz and has since taken him across industries and continents, helping brands connect with customers through creativity, customer experience, and innovation. Whether he’s leading 160-person teams across Europe or driving transformation at scale, Skelsey brings a rare blend of commercial focus and creative instinct.
B&T caught up with him to talk campaign favourites, long vs. short-term marketing, and why cooking, with a glass of wine in hand, is the ultimate creative outlet.
B&T: What three things would you take to a desert island?
Skelsey: Solar powered Kindle with a gazillion books on it. Solar-powered kindles exist… right?
My Remarkable 2 which is fast becoming my everything
One of those fancy flint fire starters from the TV show Alone, a ferro rod I think it’s called. Seems like having at least one thing that would help me survive is a good idea.
B&T: Favourite album, movie and book?
Skelsey: Movie & Album: Out of Sight and the soundtrack
Book: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. I’m a massive sci-fi reader.
B&T: What is your passion outside of work? (Think hobbies, sports, etc) and please send us a photo of you doing it!
Skelsey: The usuals, music, gigs, festivals. Big passion for cinema and film.
But cooking is my main therapy. It’s calming, creative, and when it involves others it has a lovely generosity to it . It also involves wine, so, that works (see my accidentally menacing photo above… believe it or not the kids ate well that night).
B&T: If you weren’t a CMO, what would you be doing?
Skelsey: This question comes a lot in life, doesn’t it? It’s a tough one, as I truly love what I do.
I have often found in Marketing I get to work with people that are smart & fun, the environment and context can be very challenging, and there’s a very human/relationship element to it. Being at the coal face of the consumer, we get to see the reaction in market of what we do.
So, I suppose I’d probably be working in hospitality.
B&T: What was your favourite campaign of all time?
Skelsey: The comeback of Old Spice. The man your man can smell like.
B&T: Now let’s talk shop. What is your brand’s top priority for the next 12 months?
Skelsey: Banking is pretty commoditised. Marketing and brand can be one of the greatest drivers of growth in commoditised categories, so naturally we are focusing on driving full funnel activation with an emphasis on brand (because ANZ, what a brand).
We just got a new CEO too, who is already sending signals of focus and speed (two of my favourite things), and by all accounts is a big supporter of marketing, particularly in Retail Banking.
B&T: What channel is exciting you the most and how do you split your marketing budgets between long/short and channels mix?
Skelsey: Ahhh the great debate. Long and short. Brand and Performance. Bothism.
Whilst I can’t go into how we split our budgets, I will say it is something that we constantly review and have a large body of evidence in and outside our company on what works. We have some brilliant partners including those in Measurement (our friends at Analytic Partners are second to none), so we’re in good shape to have the right blend.
OOH is probably one of my favourite channels, when done properly. But there’s a role for everything when done right.
B&T: What is the biggest challenge you currently face in the marketplace?
Skelsey: Increasing category media spend is an issue. The numbers are growing fast, and following eSOV principles gets more and more challenging in these situations.
But also providing the right omni-channel servicing to our customers. We have so many ways to talk to them, and for them to talk to us, but ultimately the one they want to use at the point in time is the right one.
B&T: What campaign are you most proud of?
Skelsey: Probably my first UK Christmas campaign which was for Boots (a health and beauty retailer in the UK, for those that don’t know it here in Australia).
Christmas is like the Super Bowl of advertising in the UK; it gets a lot of attention, ads are ranked, and winners quickly announced. Ours did well (often ranked 2nd or 3rd, but more importantly it led to great sales) and it was developed under the most difficult circumstances I’ve ever worked in. I don’t think I had a nervous breakdown… but do you ever really know?
Massive shout out to everyone that got us through that, client and agency, particularly the Chef Creative Officer I worked with at the time – Mick Mahoney – who got us across the line.
B&T: Where do you see yourself in five years time?
Skelsey: Marketing is a large field. And it’s commonly split into different areas with ‘Marketing’ mostly being about Consumer Comms (even Marketing is so much more). My background is a heady mix of Brand/Marcomms, and CX. I’d like to think I’m actively contributing to both of those things in the future (at the moment it’s more focused on brand and marcomms).
Ultimately though, it it’s working with a great bunch of people, doing great work that works, for great brands that deserve to be here. Ain’t nothing better than that.
