You’ve waited. You’ve wondered. You’ve maybe even emailed us with just a few cheeky suggestions. But we’re ripping the band-aid off with B&T’s first Best of the Best of 2025! And we’re kicking things off with the titans at the top—the leaders of Australia’s holding company-owned creative agencies.
There are 10 names on this list. And yes, some tough calls had to be made. We examined business momentum, creative output, team culture and how well these leaders are positioning their agencies for what’s next. As always, it’s part science, part gut instinct, and entirely subjective. Love it, or argue about it in your team Slack, the names on this list are bound to bring the heat!
We also examined the many responses to our nominations survey where we called on YOU to help us make sure no stone is unturned in our search for the Best of the Best.
There’s still plenty of time to nominate for the coming categories, too. Next week, we’re taking a look at the best holding company media agency leaders.
NOMINATE FOR B&T’s BEST OF THE BEST NOW!
We’ll be dropping fresh lists weekly. From recruiters to content producers, media agency bosses to data wizards, we’ve got an unmissable season ahead.
But for now, let’s turn the spotlight on the leaders driving creative at the biggest agency networks. These are the decision-makers with vision, influence and serious industry pull.
Presenting: B&T’s Best of the Best Holding Company Creative Leaders.
10. Tom Tearle – CEO, ANZ VML
Tom Tearle’s career reflects a remarkable blend of global experience, creative innovation and strategic acumen.
Starting out as a digital specialist in the UK, Tearle’s move to Australia saw him take on leadership roles that included helming Wunderman’s Coca-Cola account, where he played a pivotal role in the iconic ‘Share a Coke’ campaign, an effort that collected over 50 awards, including 11 Cannes Lions.
His ability to navigate agency mergers, as demonstrated during his tenure at Isobar and, of course, the numerous changes to VML, further underscores his sharp operational skill set.
Since joining VML in 2021, Tearle has helped the agency redefine the intersection of creativity and technology, leading the team to creative celebrated campaigns such as ‘FitChix’ for Honest Eggs and launching the surf-tracking app with Rip Curl.
His philosophy centres on combining local cultural insight with global scale, a strategy that has powered VML’s sustained creative excellence and industry recognition.
Tearle also champions thought leadership through VML’s enterprise services, ensuring the agency stays ahead in digital transformation.
But Tearle’s impact goes beyond accolades. His candid critique of the pitch process in a recent Fast 10 interview with B&T, as well as his focus on fostering strong client-agency partnerships, reflects a leader deeply invested in evolving the industry for the better.
Whether guiding VML’s heritage brands or nurturing new ventures, Tearle balances humility with high standards, ensuring the agency never settles for “average”.
9. Pat Rowe – CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi Australia
With more than two decades at Publicis Groupe, Pat Rowe has consistently delivered creative work that not only wins awards but also drives tangible client impact.
He was a central figure in building (what was) Leo Burnett into one of Australia’s top-performing agencies and has since carried that momentum to Saatchi & Saatchi, where his leadership has led to wins across high-profile accounts, including Toyota Retail, Youfoodz and A2B Cabs.
Rowe’s collaborative approach to creative transformation is reflected in standout work such as the award-winning HiLux campaign ‘In a Pickle’ and the Grand Effie-winning partnership with Arnott’s.
His belief in the power of strong agency-client relationships and unified thinking has allowed Saatchi & Saatchi to produce culturally resonant, commercially effective work.
The agency’s work with Cancer Council Australia, for example, highlights Rowe’s commitment to work that makes a real-world difference. “Our ‘End The Trend’ campaign is having a real impact, changing sun safety behaviour and even won an ARIA. I know from painful first-hand experience how hard it is to get teenagers to be responsible, so I consider that a win,” he told B&T recently.
What sets Rowe apart is his emphasis on balancing strategic rigour with creative joy. He advocates for bringing the fun back to advertising and regularly acknowledges the importance of mentorship and curiosity in sustaining long-term success.
With a sense of humour and a not-so-secret love for gardening, he approaches leadership with warmth and wit, making him a driving force behind Saatchi & Saatchi’s renewed energy.
8. Kirsty Muddle – CEO, Practices & Products, ANZ, Dentsu Australia
Kirsty Muddle brings both vision and versatility to her role at Dentsu, overseeing a multi-disciplinary network that spans creative, media, production, social change and more.
With roots in econometrics and a proven track record as a founder and CEO, Muddle’s approach is grounded in data, insight, and creativity, all working in harmony. Her leadership has helped revitalise Dentsu’s offering, winning major accounts like Temple & Webster and delivering category-defining work for The Iconic.
Beyond business success, Muddle is a champion for inclusive leadership and industry evolution. She holds key board positions at the AANA and ACA, and remains a powerful voice for gender equity and cultural change.
Her belief in the Japanese philosophy of Sanpo Yoshi, good for business, people and society, underpins much of her leadership ethos. This culturally grounded, people-first mindset has enabled Dentsu to navigate structural challenges while maintaining a forward-looking, creative focus.
Muddle’s recruitment strategy, inviting top talent to “come and build something”, has paid off, assembling a leadership team that thrives on collaboration and innovation. She’s unafraid to challenge industry norms, especially around elitism and inaccessible language, and believes the best work comes from diverse perspectives.
Whether appearing on Gruen or leading Dentsu through transformative times, Muddle brings clarity, conviction and creativity to every facet of her role.
7. Lee Leggett – CEO, Clemenger BBDO
Lee Leggett is leading Clemenger BBDO into a new era, after CHEP Network, Clemenger BBDO and Traffik were smooshed together.
Her leadership is distinguished by its ability to merge creativity, media and technology into cohesive, business-driving solutions. Under her guidance, CHEP earned multiple B&T and Effie awards, with campaigns such as ‘Flipvertising’ for Samsung and Michael Hill’s digital transformation serving as proof points for the agency’s evolution under her leadership.
With over two decades in leadership roles at Initiative, Wunderman Thompson, and Dare in the UK, Leggett brings global insight and a deeply human approach to her work.
She’s built a culture where people, not process, are the engine of creative excellence. The agency’s recent transformation reflects that belief: removing silos, unlocking talent and embedding creativity across every discipline.
Leggett’s strength lies in her ability to turn strategic complexity into focused action. Whether tackling inconvenient truths for Queensland Health or reshaping the future of Clemenger with global leadership, she’s redefining what an end-to-end creative offering can look like.
By empowering teams to think upstream, act quickly, and deliver with purpose, Leggett is cementing Clemenger’s position as one of the most adaptive and ambitious players in the market.
6. Stephen McArdle – CEO, BMF Australia
Stephen McArdle has brought enduring clarity and consistency to BMF, positioning the agency as a leader in long-term brand building and creative effectiveness.
Over the past five years, McArdle has guided the agency through a period of remarkable momentum, earning top honours across the globe and recently securing the prestigious Westpac account. His leadership was instrumental in establishing BMF’s positioning as “The Home of the Long Idea,” a philosophy that prioritises creative platforms that deliver lasting value, not just momentary impact.
Under his guidance, BMF has maintained a high bar across both commercial and cultural dimensions. The agency’s work for ALDI, Tennis Australia, a2 Milk and UNHCR reflects a consistent commitment to smart, strategic creativity. But as ever, its work with Tourism Tasmania stands head-and-shoulders above nearly everything else in country.
At the same time, internal culture has flourished, and BMF has won back-to-back B&T Culture Awards for its impressive staff retention, supportive return-to-work programs and commitment to people-first values.
McArdle’s focus on balancing creativity with strategy has made BMF a magnet for high-profile clients looking for more than just flashy ideas.
In today’s market, where many agencies chase the next big pitch, BMF under McArdle is laser-focused on delivering sustained, meaningful work and building client relationships that stand the test of time.
5. Paul Bradbury – President & Regional CEO, TBWA Australia & New Zealand
Paul Bradbury’s tenure as CEO of TBWA Australia & New Zealand has been defined by disruption, in the best possible way.
With nearly two decades at the helm, Bradbury has transformed TBWA into one of the most influential creative networks in Asia-Pacific, building an enviable client roster that includes Apple, Amazon, Telstra, NAB and Tourism New Zealand. TBWA’s role in +61, Telstra’s bespoke agency, is not to be overlooked, either. It provides the muscle behind the telco’s celebrated campaigns.
Bradbury’s legacy is also deeply entwined with the success of Eleven, TBWA’s earned and PR agency, which he co-founded. It has become one of Australia’s most consistently awarded agencies in its field, winning more than 20 Agency of the Year honours across multiple awards programs.
Bradbury’s ability to build new agency models that respond to client needs, rather than adhering to traditional structures, has made TBWA a benchmark in agility, relevance and creative ambition.
Now, his attention is turned toward unlocking the full potential of generative AI for brand storytelling, ensuring TBWA doesn’t just keep up with change, it leads it.
With a track record of building impactful, culturally resonant creative platforms, Bradbury continues to shape the future of the industry by thinking several steps ahead of the rest.
4. Clare Pickens – CEO, Leo Australia (Formerly Leo Burnett)
Clare Pickens has re-energised Leo in Australia, turning what had been seen as a quiet achiever into one of the industry’s most talked-about creative agencies.
After relocating from Amsterdam in 2024, where she worked at Wieden+Kennedy and Red & Co, Pickens brought global sensibility and grounded ambition to her new role.
In just 12 months, she led Leo to win two of the country’s most fiercely contested pitches, Suncorp and ANZ, while signalling a deliberate pivot away from chasing growth for growth’s sake. Her decision to opt out of pitching for the first half of 2025 speaks volumes about her confidence in the team’s ability to deliver meaningful, results-driven work. The Leo team are already producing more special work for Suncorp as part of its long-standing ‘Resilience’ platform.
She champions creativity as a business driver, not just a communications tool, and insists on work that’s behavioural, enduring and non-traditional.
The agency’s past successes now serve as models for its future under her stewardship: ideas that transcend advertising and solve real-world problems. By building new disciplines and strengthening partnerships, she’s steering Leo toward reinvention, an agency grounded in commercial empathy, cultural relevance and creative bravery.
Internally, she’s assembled a powerhouse team and embraced Publicis Groupe’s integrated “Power of One” model, enabling flexibility and depth without bureaucracy. Pickens’s ability to balance ambition with pragmatism and her desire to be “more than just a work machine” have helped cultivate a culture where fresh ideas flourish.
3. Rose Herceg – President, Australia and New Zealand, WPP
Rose Herceg is one of the most respected voices in Australia’s advertising landscape, known for her unwavering commitment to inclusive leadership, cultural intelligence and long-term transformation.
As President of WPP AUNZ, she oversees the region’s largest network of creative and media agencies, promoting integration across capabilities and ensuring that every part of the business is aligned around growth for clients, people and society.
Her influence is felt across every boardroom she enters, and her approach is underpinned by curiosity, candour and courage.
Herceg has long believed that real progress stems from robust debate and honest dialogue. Under her leadership, WPP was twice named an Inclusive Employer by the Diversity Council Australia, the only company in its category to have achieved this recognition. She has built WPP to be more than a communications network; it’s a mirror to the nation’s multiculturalism.
For Herceg, psychological safety is not a catchphrase; it’s the backbone of a high-performing, creative culture. She has pushed WPP to lead on the Unstereotype Alliance, challenged industry gender norms, and tackled the gender pay gap with clear, measurable action.
Though now at the helm of a global behemoth, Herceg’s roots are in small business, and she applies that entrepreneurial mindset to every decision.
She’s a published author, a social futurist, and a mentor who urges people to write their goals down and make them real.
Her belief in dignity, dialogue and data-backed change continues to shape the next generation of industry leadership.
2. Matt Michael – CEO, Droga5 Australia & New Zealand
Matt Michael’s elevation to CEO of Droga5 Australia and New Zealand late last year marked a natural next step for the creative leader who has long shaped some of the most iconic brand work in the region.
With over a decade at The Monkeys, including ten years as managing director, Michael was instrumental in delivering culturally significant and commercially potent campaigns, from Meat & Livestock’s annual blockbusters to Qantas’ nostalgic “I Still Call Australia Home” and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Now at the helm of Droga5 in ANZ following the brand’s relaunch from The Monkeys, Michael carries a dual remit: leading the creative business while also heading Song’s marketing practice across Australia and New Zealand.
This fusion of creative excellence and strategic delivery is reflected in recent wins, most notably the Optus media and creative account just yesterday.
With a blend of creativity, data-driven storytelling, and technological integration, Droga5, under Michael’s leadership, is poised to drive full-funnel brand transformation for clients looking to push the boundaries of traditional marketing.
What sets Michael apart is his ability to scale ambition without losing cultural resonance. Whether partnering with brands such as Telstra (though not any longer, of course), NRMA Insurance, Amazon or Qantas, his work reflects an understanding of both big brand legacy and new-era creativity.
Michael is well-positioned to shape Droga5’s local presence into a global benchmark, one built not just on awards, but on ideas that move culture, brand and business in equal measure.
1. Michael Rebelo – CEO ANZ, Publicis Groupe
Michael Rebelo’s leadership at Publicis Groupe ANZ has delivered a model of operational excellence and creative resurgence.
Since taking the reins more than six years ago, Rebelo has presided over a period of steady growth, consistent new business wins and increased regional integration.
Its creative agencies Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo are delivering impressive work and Leo, in particular, has grown significantly recently.
Rebelo’s leadership stands out for its balance: creative ambition coupled with care for people. Under his watch, Publicis has been named an Employer of Choice three years in a row.
His strategic focus on talent development, diversity, and sustainable business growth is evident in Publicis’ ability to attract top-tier hires and produce consistently award-winning work.
Outside of Publicis, Rebelo is also helping lead the global conversation: he chairs the APAC Creative Transformation committee, contributes to national industry bodies, and has helped shape Publicis’ creative business model for the future. He’s also the new chair of the Advertising Council, further demonstrating his creative leadership.
Most recently, Publicis’ acquisition of Captiv8 underscores Rebelo’s belief in the convergence of creativity, commerce and influence. With Captiv8’s global creator network and data tools now integrated into Publicis’ influencer marketing offering, the group is positioned to lead in next-gen brand storytelling.
As the ANZ region posts consistent revenue growth and attracts global attention for its campaigns and capabilities, Rebelo’s leadership is a prime example of what happens when creative courage is matched by commercial clarity.
And that’s why he is B&T’s Best Of The Best HoldCo Creative Agency Leader!
