Dentsu Aegis Network today announces a succession to the leadership to its Australia and New Zealand business. Luke Littlefield resigns from the group and Simon Ryan is promoted from CEO Carat ANZ to CEO Dentsu Aegis Network ANZ.

In March 2013 Dentsu Inc acquired Aegis Group Plc to form Dentsu Aegis Network globally. CEO Luke Littlefield was instrumental in integrating the business in ANZ, which followed the earlier integration of Aegis Media and the Mitchell Communication Group. The business has grown rapidly with new office expansions across Australia and key acquisitions such as BWM which significantly enhanced the dentsu agency offering in the market.

Following the successful integration of the businesses Dentsu Aegis Network ANZ now moves into a new phase of development. Carat has delivered strong performance under Ryan’s leadership and was named the number one media agency in the 2015 R3 New Business League table, the second consecutive year in first place.

Nick Waters CEO Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific said: “Luke has done really well steering the group through two mergers over the last five years and I thank him for his contribution to the business. Simon has been a consistent standout performer over recent years, leading Carat with energy and dynamism to become the most successful media agency in Australia.  He has earned this opportunity to lead the group in the next phase of our development and it is very encouraging to be able to promote such strong talent from within the group.”

Luke Littlefield said: “It has been a great journey over the last eight years with Mitchell Communication Group, Aegis Media and most recently Dentsu Aegis Network.  I am proud of what we have achieved in the market, and now feels like the right time to move on.  It is good to leave the business in good shape and in good hands.”

Simon Ryan said: “This is a very exciting time.  The market is changing rapidly and we have a diverse range of well integrated capabilities to help clients navigate the changes successfully. I am looking forward to working with Nick and the national management teams in Australia and New Zealand to capitalise on our current position and the market dynamics.”

The change of leadership takes place with immediate effect.