Sydney-based digital media and adtech specialist, Bench, has announced a series of new hires and promotions off the back of a series of business wins which include Britax, Jaycar, Medtronic and Cook Island Tourism.
“The accelerated digital shift, propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen a burgeoning demand for more sophisticated digital media solutions. Brands and agencies realise that a strategy tethered solely to Meta and Google is becoming too limited when there are so many other publishing and channels options now available on which can connect more powerfully to their targeted audiences,” says Ori Gold, chief executive officer.
L-R: Grant Bingham, Erin Fraser, Liam Garratt, Sergio Valdes, Ben Farnsworth & Anthony Fargeot
In response to the business’s expansion, Bench has announced Anthony Fargeot’s promotion to VP of growth. “Ant has been with Bench for seven years and has done a wonderful job across various roles in that time. His promotion is a reflection of his value and contribution to the business,” said Gold.
The team also welcomes Grant Bingham, who previously served as vice president, international media business development at Unruly, and head of programmatic at Are Media. Ben Farnsworth, an industry veteran with a successful tenure as regional director at Encore Digital Media and sales director at MIQ Singapore, also joins the Bench team upon his return from Singapore. Additionally, Sergio Valdes, former head of growth at iCumulus, is set to strengthen the partnerships team in his new role as strategic partnerships manager.
“As part of our strategic focus to bring together the key disciplines of media, data and tech, Liam Garratt, who is a Bench mainstay, having served across various management roles over the last five years becomes our new general manager. He will oversee the client services, performance, and technology teams,” continued Gold.
“Bench welcomes back Erin Fraser, returning from parental leave, who resumes her role as Senior Account Manager. Erin brings a depth of industry experience and a passionate commitment to service excellence. We’re delighted to have her back on the team. We’ve missed her!” said Gold.
“As an agency, we are committed to bringing our clients the very best digital media solutions and that necessitates a breadth of talent across a range of core disciplines. We aim to provide clients with a more holistic approach, providing more powerful connections to target audiences which ultimately deliver better outcomes. We can only achieve this by attracting and retaining the smartest talent and these latest hires and moves underscore that commitment,” said Gold.
“Our focus on people is also seen in our commitment to industry excellence. We are an active and long-standing contributor to IAB Australia and the Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA). These affiliations underscore Bench’s pledge to uphold the highest industry standards and our ongoing dedication to the broader and more inclusive digital media sector” said Gold.
