Wildstone announced two hires in its recently launched Australian venture, headed up by Noel Cook, appointed managing director in May.
Wildstone added Mitch Cook as its commercial director for Australia and Amber Burbidge as a commercial executive. Both Cook and Burbidge previously worked for oOh!media.
Cook’s 18 years in the industry have been split between Australia and the UK, with stints at Ocean Outdoor in the UK and in the advertising team at London City Airport. His most recent role was product director for Small Format at oOh!media. At Wildstone, he will focus on leveraging partnerships between landowners and media partners, driving revenue growth, and advancing the company’s goal to further digitise Australia’s OOH sites.
He will work closely with Burbidge, whose 20-year career prior to Wildstone was at oOh!media. Her most recent role was senior commercial executive, where she was responsible for driving innovation and expansion, primarily in the realm of digital billboards. She will have a similar remit at Wildstone, and will also be involved in strategic planning and market analysis.
Wildstone announced its entry into Australia’s A$1.07 billion OOH market in May as part of the company’s international expansion. The overseas drive follows its successful growth across Europe, where it has acquired and developed more than 5,000 static and digital OOH assets since 2010.
“Our entry into the Australian market got off to a flying start when we secured Noel Cook as managing director earlier this year. We’re thrilled he’s now brought some of his most trusted and experienced former colleagues into the business,” said Damian Cox, founder and CEO of Wildstone.
Wildstone was attracted to the Australian market due to its double-digit growth, significant digital revenue increases, a landscape of strong independent billboard media operators, and its potential as a bridge towards the company’s push into other APAC markets in the coming years.
“Mitch’s experience in both the UK and Australian markets will be invaluable as we work to replicate our European success in Australia. Meanwhile, Amber’s two decades of expertise gleaned from various roles across the sales, operations, and commercial divisions of the OOH industry will significantly enhance our capabilities”.
“Having spent a significant portion of my career in the UK, I saw Wildstone grow into one of the largest billboard infrastructure businesses in Europe and witnessed first-hand the quality service it provided both landowners and media operators,” said Mitch Cook, commercial director at Wildstone.
“There is a race to digitise assets to match advertiser demand and Wildstone’s success in digitising its UK assets puts us in a great position to succeed in doing the same in Australia. The company’s entrepreneurial spirit, which was a key part of the attraction for me, will also help us excel in this market”.
Amber Burbidge, Commercial Executive at Wildstone, said: “I’m thrilled to be part of bringing Wildstone’s tried-and-tested business model to the Australian market. I’ve worked closely with Noel for most of my career so with him heading up Wildstone Australia, it’s sure to be a success.”
