Dentsu has appointed Brett Elliott to the newly created role of media chief operating officer.
Based in Melbourne, Elliott will oversee operational efficiencies and clients across dentsu’s media agency brands Carat, iProspect and dentsuX.
Elliott was investment head and lead at MediaCom, where he transitioned into general manager.
More recently, he lead the charge as managing director at UM, heading the Australian Federal Government media account.
UM was chosen to retain media planning and buying duties for the $140 million Federal Government for another three years while Elliott headed it.
“I am delighted to bring Brett to our amazing team at dentsu. His ambition and care are second to none, and I know he will add great value, bringing a sense of passion and purpose to our client operational excellence and future thinking for the team, in tech and tools,” Fiona Johnston, dentsu Australia CEO media, client counsel & commercial said.
Johnston worked with Elliott while she was CEO at UM.
“For those who know him, he is also just a great human, and a solid and authentic leader, which adds to our culture. Brett brings a strong sense of trust and community, as well as groundbreaking media expertise to ensure our operations are world-class and industry-leading”.
“I am really looking forward to joining dentsu, a company that has a genuine history of innovation and a set of capabilities across its brands that are second-to-none. Specifically on the media side, Carat, iProspect and dentsuX are all exciting businesses with great potential,” Elliott said.
“With so much change in our industry, there is a huge opportunity to harness the best of technology and combine that with great people to deliver real client outcomes. I’m delighted to be a part of the team and to help drive the momentum that dentsu is already building,” he added.
The appointment follows Carat picking up Harvest Road Group and Summit Homes Group in WA, Funlab in Victoria, EnergyFlex in SA and extending its relationship with Barbeques Galore! in NSW. Sister agency iProspect picked up eBAY and MYOB.