Approaching its tenth anniversary, Melbourne independent agency Akkomplice has appointed entrepreneurial change-maker Linda Monique (lead image) to the role of General Manager.
Monique comes to the role, not from the typical agency pathway but with a richly varied background in a commercial enterprise that includes founding (and recently selling) Australia’s first almond milk company, the multi-award-winning Almo Milk.
Prior to launching Almo, Linda worked in advisory roles for international and local brands including Nestec (Nestle Switzerland), Fisher & Paykel, Andaz Hotels, Coles, MINI, Apple, Walmart. She is a Fellow and Maps Mentor at the University of Melbourne, marketing academy scholar, and was named Telstra Young Businesswoman of the Year, 2018.
Aside from her business achievements, her creative streak and passion for food drove Linda to the finals of the inaugural season of Australian MasterChef and saw her fulfil duties in London as private chef for the Beckhams.
“My journey to this role has been anything but normal, but Akkomplice is not a normal sort of agency, so it feels like a natural home for my entrepreneurial passion,” said Monique. “The agency Kenny has built is not afraid to do things differently, and that continues to pay off for his ambitious clients”.
Originally crossing paths some 15 years ago when Akkomplice founder Kenny Hill was MD of M&C Saatchi Melbourne, the entrepreneurial pair have collaborated on various projects, including NPD and design thinking for Akkomplice client Kellogg’s.
“When Linda told me she was returning to Melbourne from Europe and eager to shake things up with a new venture, I jumped at the opportunity to bring her onboard,” said Hill.
“Linda is a unique force and has an incredible talent for ambitious solutions coupled with a deep experience of commercial strategy, which our clients love tapping into,” added Hill.
Linda is adamant that 2024 will be ‘do or die’ for many companies and brands in Australia. “Evolve, innovate or face imminent decline”, said Linda. “Diminishing margins, increased supply chain issues, reduced consumer spending… never has there been a time where innovative marketing is more critical”.
