Kimberlee Wells, who earned a spot on B&T’s Women in Media Power List in 2024, has built her career on the belief that creativity can be transformed into both inspiration and shareholder value. Her contribution at TBWA Australia for over a decade has seen her life and breath the agency’s Disruption philosophy. Just last month, she was appointed CEO to continue propelling growth and reach for a wide variety of brands.
Throughout her career, Wells has advised some of Australia’s leading brands and government agencies. Under her leadership, TBWA has worked with brand partners to rally for LGBTIQ rights; champion change for women’s financial inequality; and improve acceptance of Australia’s minority groups. Wells was invited to speak during the United Nations General Assembly at the Sustainable Development Action Zone on the role creative communications has in driving awareness and action for each of the 17 Goals.
Under Wells’s leadership, TBWA will leverage a new operating structure to amplify its Disruption philosophy, delivering commercial advantage for its clients and opportunity for its talent.
1) You’ve had a brilliant career, from your early days at Samuelson Talbot/Wunderman to fast forward to newly appointed CEO TBWA\Australia. If you had to pick only one, what would be your career highlight so far?
Kimberlee Wells: Impossible question – but I guess, the day I got my first job in advertising thirty years ago. None of the other moments would have been possible without it.
2) I love the phrase Disruption kills boring. How do you keep delivering on that ambition day in day out?
KW: By ensuring Disruption is a daily practice, not a one-off stunt. Even with all the established processes, tools, and a relentless focus on identifying and challenging norms, Disruption is far easier said than done.
3) You recently said you were humbled and hungry for the challenges ahead. What’s the first thing you want to do yesterday?
KW: Bring our brand partners and our people to the table to set the TBWA\Australia agenda together.
4) As a young girl, what did you want to be when you grew up?
KW: A lawyer. I liked the idea of wearing a suit and being paid to defend a point of view. Sound familiar?
5) The agency prides itself on being one of the world’s most innovative companies. Can you provide a specific client example on how that works?
KW: Innovation stems from our Disruption philosophy. We help brands see differently, look differently, and show up differently. A recent innovation we are working with clients on is Rise. Rise is TBWA’s AI visibility service that helps brands appear accurately and authoritatively inside AI platforms like ChatGPT, reframing search as customer experience at the AI Moment of Truth (AiMOT). AiMOT is the moment when customer perception is shaped by AI-generated answers like ChatGPT before any search, click, or purchase.
6) As an industry, what’s one thing you would change to make us all better?
KW: The way we talk to ourselves. Too much doom and gloom. Parts of our industry are changing; the power of the white page is not. So, can we get back to celebrating ideas and creativity as an accelerant for growth, please?
7) What are the current growth challenges for your clients, and how are you providing solutions?
KW: Standing out and staying relevant. That’s why Disruption is such a valuable tool. It offers brands clarity on how and where to fight and win.
8) Freshies is a great initiative and is now national. How does young talent apply for the 12-month apprenticeship?
KW: With imagination (and the internet!).
Visit our website and go for it. We’re thrilled the programme is now national, meaning we can offer four spots instead of two.
The brief this year is: ‘Don’t Fear the Blank Page: Fill It.’
Our programme is unique in that we don’t ask for a CV, nor do we look for experience or education. We want to find those people who are unafraid to disrupt, to take on a challenge, and turn the blank page into something remarkable.
9) What’s one thing that’s not on your LinkedIn profile?
KW: Straight shooter – IYKYK.
10) Important last question: Do your parents know what you do?
KW: Of course. Whether they understand is a different question.
