Matt Michael was appointed CEO of Droga5 ANZ in October 2024 and managing director of Accenture Song in August 2021. Since then, he’s supercharged Droga’s challenger spirit and creative ambition, creating bold and punchy spots for -196, Tourism Australia and of course–the beloved lamb ad, which was a B&T Awards winner in 2025.
B&T‘s very own Greg ‘Sparrow’ Graham sat down with Michael to chat about his impressive journey in Adland and what his leadership philosophy has been.
1. You’ve had a brilliant career, from starting off on the Client Side at Heineken & IBM … to now, the CEO of Droga5 ANZ. If you had to pick only one, what would be your career highlight so far?
Matt Michael: Impossible to choose one. I have been incredibly fortunate to be part of great organisations and phenomenal work – launching Heineken draught beer into this country was strategically eye opening; The Decade of Smart with IBM which informed some of Obama’s policies was a thrill; helping grow The Monkeys to over 200 people hell bent on making provocative ideas happen and producing over a decade of campaigns and iconic work with great clients with the likes of Telstra, MLA, Qantas, Blackmores, Suntory, NRMA Insurance, Sydney Opera House was the privilege of a lifetime.
The challenge of proper business transformation as part of the Accenture Song customer strategy has been maturing and exciting; building out and end-to-end marketing practice covering advisory, customer tech, creative and media as well as just being round the incredible scale of Accenture has been so motivating.
The work, stories and people have all been incredible and as cliched as it is to say, there are some days where whatever is happening makes me just wonder in bewilderment that this is all part of the job.
2. As someone who has overseen the successful integration of indie culture with the scale of a global network like Accenture Song, what is the one leadership lesson you’ve learned about preserving culture while driving meaningful impact for clients and your team?
MM: The work is what drives people and culture. Doing the best work of their lives and believing the best work is ahead of them, not behind. If you get that right, it will drive impact and success for clients and it will give people purpose. It will salve the negatives, and it will push everyone to harness the positives. David Droga has always spoken about having people care is the biggest driver of success and I think maintaining that is key.
3. 2025 was a cracking year, you launched a media agency, won Optus, produced some excellent work, including Lamb., It appears that whilst the industry is consolidating, you are growing. Your ambition is to ‘swing for the fences’. What does that mean to you for 2026?
MM: 2025 was transitional, 2026 is exponential.
4. As a young boy, what did you want to be when you grew up?
MM: A faster swimmer.
5. If Droga5 made an ad about you, what would the tagline be?
MM: ‘Sensible Progress’ is probably the very sensible answer I would give or as Damon has suggested – ‘Zero Problems’.
6. As an industry, what’s one thing you would change to make us all better?
MM: More open. To people of different backgrounds, to thinking from other fields to a wider perspective than just our country, to technology that disrupts.
7. What are the current growth challenges for your clients, and how is Droga5 delivering effective solutions?
MM: I think the mindset has changed this year, there is less trepidation in the market and more of a growth mentality. Clients are more open to rethinking everything in pursuit of that growth and more than ever incrementalism is not going to cut it.
The challenge for some clients is envisioning what that reinvention looks like. We’re so used to doing what we did last year plus or minus 10 per cent that bigger change is hard to perceive. You need to be clear on where you want to end up, then build a plan to get there – that’s what we’re helping more and more clients with.
8. Given the anxiety and uncertainty across adland right now, what is your boldest view of where the industry must go next and what mindset shift you believe will separate the agencies that thrive from the ones that won’t?
MM: I could drop all the vanilla platitudes that everyone says about the industry, but I think what will separate the pack will end up being the people and trust. The technology will become table-stakes, the processes will get honed and the fees will get aligned to the value brought. What will make the difference will be the people and the trust you have in them to give great advice, thinking and deliver.
9. What’s one thing that’s not on your LinkedIn profile?
MM: World-class phone texter.
10. Important last question: Do your parents really know what you do?
MM: Yes. I make the lamb ad.
