We are three weeks into B&T’s Best of the Best. Last week, we looked at the Best of the Best independent creative agency bosses. This week, it’s the turn of the leaders of Australia and New Zealand’s finest independent media agencies.
It’s never been a more fascinating time to be an independent agency. While the global networks continue to evolve and restructure, independent agencies have been winning major accounts, attracting top talent and proving that scale isn’t everything.
Putting together this year’s ranking was no easy task. The calibre of leadership across the sector was outstanding and there were plenty of deserving names who narrowly missed out. While that made the process tougher, it’s also a strong sign of just how healthy and competitive the independent media landscape has become.
The names that were unlucky to not make the list were Yango’s double act, Luke Povee and Nick Murdoch, as well as Involved Media’s Sarah Keith, Enigma’s Justin Ladmore and Bastion Media’s Anna Cherry.
When assessing this year’s list, B&T considered a range of factors including new business performance, the scale and significance of client accounts, industry influence, market profile and the overall impact each leader has had on their agency and the broader media sector. As always, we also leaned on nominations from the industry, alongside insights from trusted advisors and respected figures across the media and agency world.
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Next week, we have our first new list of the year with the Best of the Best Adtech and Martech Leaders.
But for now we are spotlighting the indie media agency leaders. Here is where our conversations and extensive research has led us:
10. Chris Nolan and Dianne Richardson, co-founders, Principle Media Group
Dianne Richardson and Chris Nolan co-founded Principle Media Group some seven-and-a-half years ago and have steered it to become one of the country’s largest indie media shops with sharp thinking, data-led strategy and a focus on driving measurable business growth
Nolan serves as the CEO, with a career spanning senior leadership roles at Publicis and Starcom, Nolan has worked at high levels of the media industry, guiding brands through complex and fast-changing markets.
Richardson, meanwhile, serves as the agency’s product director. He founded the agency alongside director Dianne Richardson who previously served as the Melbourne MD of OMD and chief strategy officer of UM in New York.
Together the duo has built an incredible portfolio which consists of Swisse, Sportsbet, Netballl Australia and Don Smallgoods, just to name a few.
Peers described them as “highly adept at building high quality teams” and understanding “exactly what clients need”.
9. Ian Perrin, managing partner, SPEED
From global network agencies to founding his own independent shop, Ian Perrin has spent decades shaping the media industry. After holding senior leadership positions at Ogilvy, Mindshare, Naked and Zenith, Perrin now leads SPEED, where he continues to push the boundaries of media strategy, innovation and agency growth.
Since founding SPEED in 2016 Perrin has established a highly regarded agency. Throughout 2025 he continued this trajectory, securing six accounts, taking the agency’s tally from 18 to 24. Joining the fold were Lounge Lovers, Xero, PetO, Unloan and Stacks Lawyers.
At the beginning of 2025, Speed and Perrin launched the Keep Talking project to raise funds for Lifeline while helping to elevate awareness around suicide prevention. B&T readers will also know the editorial series of the same name, which features prominent industry figures sharing their own personal struggles. The series has continued into 2026, reinforcing an ongoing commitment to keeping mental health front of mind across the industry.
It also reflects a broader sense of leadership beyond the agency itself, showing someone who is as focused on contributing to the wider community and industry wellbeing as they are on running a successful business.
8. Joe Frazer, head of growth and digital, founder, Half Dome
Half Dome was set up nine years ago by Joe Frazer, his brother Tom and business partner Will Harms. Tom departed the business at the end of last year.
Frazer and co had an extremely strong 2025 year, adding $18 million dollars in billings with five account wins. Moonpig, T2, Lifestyle Communities, Brown Brothers and Cobram Estate Olive Oils were all added to Half Dome’s already stacked portfolio that consists of The Good Guys, Online Education Services and NBN.
Half Dome has recently doubled down on AI, making it a core part of how the agency operates. The agency appointed a dedicated AI lead and introduced two proprietary platforms: Signal Labs, a real-time trends and insights engine, and Optilog, an AI-powered optimisation and reporting tool. Together, they are helping the Half Dome team make smarter decisions across planning, reporting and campaign performance.
Kids Under Cover’s new campaign to drive awareness for its Donate Your Car program. Developed by Brand Play and media planned by Half Dome in collaboration with UnLtd.
7. Daniel Cutrone, managing partner, Avenue C
Daniel Cutrone is an experienced media professional with a stacked resume that consists of running Avenue C, and working across Initiative, UM and Match Media. Cutrone is skilled in investment and negotiation strategies, communications planning, media implementation and execution, performance media and results driven execution.
When Match was acquired by Publicis in 2017, Cutrone and his crew went independent, and has since built Avenue C into one of the strongest indie agencies in the market.
Most recently Avenue C has added four senior hires and a new data and insights lead. Tania Carr and Matt Furlong have joined the team as business partners, Lorena Danes as media and investment partner, and Tom Carey as digital partner. This is to help the growth of the agency that in 2025 won the business of Alinta Energy, AMP and Zip Water.
6. Peter Horgan, CEO, JOY
One of the biggest headlines of 2025 was when former CEO of Omnicom Media Group, Peter Horgan joined JOY at the back-end of the year.
Since then, he’s helped the full-service agency notch some impressive media wins including Picklebet and Mecca. This has helped the agency grow to the point where it recently hired nine new team members.
Horgan leverages more than 30 years of media industry experience spanning both the UK and Australian markets. He is committed to specialisation and sustainable growth that keeps people development and client solutions at the forefront of the agency.
He is also devoted to giving back previously holding the chair position for the Media Federation of Australia for 11 years, and is currently a board member of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA).
5. Jacquie Alley, chief operating officer, The Media Store
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley is a trailblazer that has turned the agency into a indie juggernaut. She first joined The Media Store (TMS) as the strategy and insights manager in 1997. From here she has worked her way to head of people and culture and now eventually the chief operating officer. She has held this role for the last seven years.
During her tenure Alley has turned the TMS into one of the best indie agencies across Australia with clients ranging from $2 million to $20 million billings. The agency’s team has grown by 30 per cent to support the growth of the agency over the last 12 months.
Its most recent account win was to manage digital media services for ride-share company Splend.
Alley is no stranger to an award, either. Her work for the industry and TMS has seen her collect the 2022 B&T Women in Media Social Change Maker, 2023 and 2024 B&T Women in Media Executive Leader and most recently took out the 2025 B&T Women in Media Champion of Change category.
Outside of running The Media Store, Alley is also the IMAA Chair. In this role she has supported the growth and profile of Australian indie agencies with a membership base of 170 plus. It is also important to note that Alley is the first female chair.
She is devoted to give back to the industry also volunteering as a taskforce member of the Experience Advocacy Taskforce and an advisory board member of The Village. In her respective roles Alley is committed to collaboratively addressing ageism that sadly exists in the industry and elevating, supporting, and advocating for parents and parents to be in the Australian media landscape.
Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation ‘Made for Me’ brand platform by Hero and TMS.
4. Jimmy Hyett, founder and CEO, This is Flow
Few independent agency leaders have shaped a business quite like Jimmy Hyett. Since launching This is Flow more than 10 years ago, he has built the agency into a respected force in the Australian media landscape, known for its strong client partnerships, innovative thinking and people-first approach.
Hyett has never been content with doing things the way they’ve always been done. His willingness to challenge traditional agency models has seen This is Flow introduce initiatives such as profit sharing and a nine-day working fortnight, helping create a workplace that attracts and retains some of the industry’s best talent.
That focus on culture has translated into commercial success. In the past year, the agency has continued to grow, winning Australian Health Vitality, Cranky Health and Southern Cross Travel Insurance.
Last month, This Is Flow recorded something of a coup as it swooped in to provide a new home for Awaken’s clients after it pivoted following an acquisition. These clients included Proximo, Amazon Ring, Fuji Film, Panasonic and Opal Health Care.
This Is Flow’s most recent work with Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) and Quantum Jump Sydney. ‘Game.Set.Insure’, is a digital tennis game, that gave Australians and New Zealanders the chance to play their way around the world and win.
3. Matt Nunn, founder and CEO, Nunn Media
Matt Nunn, last year’s number one lands himself a podium spot again this year. As the founder of Australia’s largest independent media agency by billings, Nunn knows a thing or two about building a successful business.
His first role in the media was with WIN Network after spending time as a professional basketballer.
In 2025, Nunn Media put in one helluva performance. According to media billings doyens COMvergence, Nunn Media won the third-most amount of new billings of all Australia’s media agencies. Its seven new accounts included Webjet, SunRice and Wallet Wizard. TrinityP3 also had Nunn’s media agency in the top 10 by Tenders won.
This year, it’s also won BISSEL’s media account.
Here is the most recent work Nunn Media did with Dig for Bendigo Bank.
2. Lyndelle O’Keefe, founder and CEO, Match & Wood
Claiming second place is Lyndelle O’Keefe. She founded Match & Wood in 2017, following a six-year stint as a strategy director at Initiative. She cut her teeth as a business manager at MediaCom back in 2000.
She also recently had this ignominous honour of going to prison with B&T’s own Ollie Cerovic and David Hovenden at UnLtd’s Adland Bail Out.
According to her peers “Lyndelle has built a culture that empowers people, challenges convention and keeps clients at the centre of every decision, resulting in long-term partnerships and continued agency growth in an increasingly competitive market.”
And what sets O’Keefe apart is “her ability to balance strategic vision with humanity. She leads with authenticity, decisiveness and care, creating an environment where both clients and teams thrive. Her impact extends beyond agency performance, helping shape a smarter, more progressive future for the independent media industry.”
Her agency is coming off an enormous 2025 where Match & Wood won Renault Group from OMD and retained Snooze. It’s believed these two accounts are worth around $20 million together.
To go with the wins, O’Keefe and her agency made a slew of senior appointments including Atomic 212’s Bupa client lead Joe Stevens. It also appointed Simon Crouch to the newly created role of data scientist and at the begging of 2025 hired Ronny Raichura as head of digital and transformation.
O’Keefe is the definition of a “standout independent agency leader” and is very much deserving of the second spot on this list.
1. Stephen Fisher, managing partner and CEO, Hatched Media
Taking the top spot on this years podium is Steve Fisher. An experienced media practitioner with more than two decades of experience across the Aussie, UK, Europe and Asia markets. He’s been at Hatched for the last nine years, in which he has had the leadership reigns since the end of 2019.
He earnt his stripes in his 13 years at IPG Mediabrands culminating in a number of leadership roles at Initiative.
Fisher was a name that continued to cross our desks, thanks to his agency having a stellar 2025 and 2026 starting just as hot. Fisher and Hatched has already made a lot of noise this year, especially after it lured former IPG Mediabrands chief Mark Coad as a part-time senior adviser.
Over the course of the 2025 calendar year, his agency picked up 18 accounts including the likes of Key Pharmaceuticals, Australian Pacific Touring, CPA Australia, Yellow Tail, Chobani & Gippsland Dairy and MCoBeauty.
According to the agency, media billings grew 39 per cent over the course of the year, with digital billings up 42 per cent.
Fisher finished 2025 with a collection of prestigious B&T Awards. Hatched’s work for Kitchen Warehouse and Who Gives A Crap saw the agency take home the Best Use of Data Driven Marketing, Best Direct Response Campaign and Best Retail Media Campaign with Cartology.
