Dentsu Aegis Network New Zealand has announced the appointment of Bríd Drohan-Stewart as General Manager of its Activations agencies.

With over 25 years commercial brand experience, Bríd is a familiar name within the industry, most recently having held the position of General Manager of Marketing at Mondelēz. Prior to this, Bríd held senior roles in a number of FMCG businesses, most notably as Marketing Director for The Coca-Cola Company in the UK.

The appointment marks the final step of a restructure of the ApolloNation and Synergy Brand Experience agencies as they take a bold and promising step forward into 2015.

Kylie Green, Managing Director of Dentsu Aegis Network’s Activations businesses in Australia & New Zealand said, “The past year has been one of transformation for our New Zealand Activation businesses; integral to the success of this was finding a respected and dynamic leader who could collectivise our tribe as they forge ahead with a redefined vision,” said Kylie.

Robert Harvey, CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network New Zealand said, “Bríd’s extensive experience has given her an intrinsic understanding of shopper, experiential and promotional marketing from a deep-specialist level. We believe that her appointment will make a real statement to the market about our intent for our Activations businesses. Bríd is a great fit culturally and I look forward to her contribution on our senior management team.”

A diverse career portfolio has granted Bríd multi-category experience including soft drinks, confectionery, telecoms and retail. She was largely responsible for a number of award winning campaigns such as the Diet Coke Silver Bottle, Rugby World Cup, FIFA World Cup, Share a Coke, and the Coca-Cola Happiness Truck, and Bríd’s specialty lies in her ability to create campaigns that connect across all consumer touch points with the energy to engage and inspire.

Speaking of the appointment, Bríd said, “I’m absolutely thrilled to lead the charge of the ApolloNation and Synergy agencies and I’m ready to sink my teeth into the opportunities that both individual businesses have to offer.”

“I’ll be bringing to the table a wealth of client-side and activations experience from several years in the New Zealand market, along with extensive experience in sports and sponsorship leveraging which will really bolster our offering in the market,” she said.

Bríd’s appointment comes off the back of a number of additional senior engagements made within Synergy Brand Experience this past year, with Jacqui Deed promoted from ApolloNation Melbourne to the position of Agency Director role and, more recently, the appointment of experiential specialist Greg Southey as Account Director.

Bríd is based in Dentsu Aegis Network’s Auckland office.