Hristos Varouhas has been promoted to regional chief strategy officer of TBWA Oceania and will take immediate responsibility for the strategic planning function across Australia and New Zealand for Whybin\TBWA, Digital Arts Network (DAN), Integer and Eleven PR.

Hristos will continue to work in partnership with Paul Mayes, Executive Planning Director of Whybin\TBWA Melbourne and David McIndoe, Head of Planning for Whybin\TBWA Auckland.

Joining Whybin\TBWA Sydney as executive planning director in July 2009, Hristos has been critical to the agency’s creative, effectiveness and new business success. In 2013, Whybin\TBWA Group Sydney was crowned AWARD Agency of the Year, Effie Effectiveness Agency of the Year, Campaign Asia’s Australian Agency of the Year, as well as B&T Australian Agency of the Year for the second year running. In 2014, Whybin\TBWA Sydney was ranked No. 8 in the world in the Effie Effectiveness Rankings and No. 4 in Asia Pacific.

Just last week, Whybin\TBWA Melbourne won accolades as Asia Pacific Agency of the Year at the New York Festival’s International Advertising Awards.

During his strategic planning career, Hristos has been the author of 14 Gold Effies and two Grand Prix Awards across Australia and Asia Pacific, a Cannes Effectiveness Lion, and an APG Grand Prix.

‘‘Hristos is the real deal and my partner in everything we do, so this promotion is a very logical next step. Don’t be deceived by the Billabong shirt, the gold chain and the Harley-Davidson, Hristos is the sharpest planner across all disciplines that I have ever come across. Scott Whybin and I are very excited by what he can continue to achieve in partnership with our teams in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland,” Paul Bradbury, Regional CEO.

Hristos Varouhas added, “It’s been a very fruitful almost six years with Whybin\TBWA and with this new role I’m looking forward to growing the Strategy discipline – which is fast-changing – with Paul and our exceptional planning leaders in Melbourne and New Zealand.”