Joint executive creative directors for M&C Saatchi, Mandie van der Merwe (pictured right) and Avish Gordham (pictured left), are set to jump ship to dentsu as the company’s first chief creative officers.
The creative pair will join dentsu’s team in October, having worked with M&C Saatchi for almost 4 years in their current roles. They will report to CEO Kirsty Muddle in their new positions.
Gordham and van der Merwe have a strong record working together, having been recognised at both Cannes Lions and Spikes in the past. Van der Merwe also made it onto this year’s B&T Women in Media Power List.
On the move, dentsu Creative Australia and New Zealand CEO Kirsty Muddle said: “Mandie & Avish shape what’s now and what’s next. They’re born leaders with deeply held beliefs that drive their behaviours. They want to do work that has never been done before, stuff that shapes society, creates culture and invents the future. They also can see things from all angles, be it CXM, Earned Attention, Entertainment or Media, and have the credentials that prove it.”
Van der Merwe said: “I’m truly honoured to lead the creative offering and be part of this incredible team. It took just one chat with Kirsty and Fred and we were hooked. An agency that centralises creativity and puts it at the heart of everything is a pretty difficult thing to ignore as a creative being.”
Gordhan added: “We’re very grateful for the opportunity M&C Saatchi gave us and are really proud of the team we helped build. At the same time, it is hard not to feel a bit giddy by the possibilities of Dentsu Creative and the agency’s vision of building brands through entertainment, culture and content.”
The pair are set to be replaced at M&C Saatchi by Emma Robbins, who steps into the position of national executive creative director from the Melbourne team
