GroupM CEO Asia Pacific Mark Patterson today announced the appointment of Mark Lollback, currently CMO McDonald’s Australia and New Zealand, to the role of CEO GroupM Australia & New Zealand.

Lollback is a well-respected/high-profile/successful leader with over 20 years of marketing and advertising experience. He will work closely with the CEOs and leadership teams of all GroupM business, including Maxus, MEC, MediaCom, Mindshare, Xaxis and Play.

Lollback’s career spans global blue chip clients including Unilever, PepsiCo, ANZ Bank and presently McDonalds. He has worked in global, regional & local roles in UK, USA, China & Australia. As CEO of GroupM Australia & New Zealand, Lollback is replacing John Steedman, who stepped down in June and is currently serving as non-executive chairman.

Mark Patterson said: “Mark is a unique talent with a depth and breadth of experience, a leadership style and personality that will work well in our culture with an appetite for change and a natural inquisitiveness that will serve our clients, partners, him and us well.

“We are very fortunate to be able to welcome him to the group. We were looking for someone who will bring fresh thinking, ideas and approaches to complement our current leadership team. Our people, clients and partners will find him to be an inspiring, insightful and down to earth leader who will roll his sleeves up and make a real difference fast.

“GroupM will continue to invest in Australia as a key top ten WW market and we have a clear and ambitious plan of new businesses, partnerships, products, services and initiatives lined up for 2016 that will both broaden and deepen our offering to our current and prospective clients as well as importantly creating new opportunities for our people.”

Lollback said: “It is a great honour to lead GroupM in Australia, particularly at a time of acute transformation in our industry. We have seen enormous change over the past five years, and the next five will be incomparable. GroupM Australia’s diverse and unrivalled talent, from top to bottom across the business, places it in a formidable position for the future.”

Lollback assumes his new role early next year.