WPP Media Australia & New Zealand has appointed Toby Maclachlan as its head of creative strategy. His appointment follows hot on the heels of Shivani Marahaj’s promotion to chief creator officer.
WPP Media said the new roles showed its commitment to “delivering innovation and creative excellence for clients in a new media world”.
Maharaj was formerly chief content and partnerships officer at WPP Media agency brand, Wavemaker. She has been recognised in the B&T Women in Media Awards, Campaign’s Women To Watch, B&T Best of the Best, has been a Cannes Lions Juror in Social & Influencer and sits on the AiMCO Guiding Council.
Maclachlan joins from Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), where he was head of strategy and product, leading the delivery of creative and innovative experiences designed to deeply connect brands with consumers. Prior to that he was at Initiative and previously spent more than a decade in creative agencies.
At WPP Media he will be instrumental in driving industry leading creativity and cutting-edge thinking, working closely with the teams within the brands Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom, and WPP Media’s central Influencer business and bespoke tech platform.
Both Maharaj and Maclachlan will also have a particular focus supporting WPP Beauty Tech Labs, a dedicated influencer marketing and advocacy agency created to enhance L’Oreal’s business outcomes. L’Oreal recently announced it had appointed WPP Beauty Tech Labs across Australia and New Zealand consolidating work for all 32 of its iconic brands, including CeraVe, La Roche-Posay, L’Oréal Paris, Kiehl’s, YSL, Lancôme, NYX, Maybelline, Redken, under one agency.
Ad spending in the Influencer Advertising market in Australia is forecast to reach AUD$920m in 20251 (Statista). Globally, WPP Media forecasts more than half of content-driven advertising revenue in 2025 will come from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram Reels. Creator-generated revenue will hit US$184.9 billion this year, up 20% from 2024, and is expected to more than double to $376.6 billion by 2030, according to its latest This Year Next Year Report, published June 2025.
Aimee Buchanan, CEO of WPP Media Australia & New Zealand, said of the new hires, “Since launching our dedicated influencer business four years ago, we have seen its rapid expansion and the impact it can have on clients’ businesses. The way consumers engage with brands and creators is being redefined and we are thrilled to see Shivani and Toby take on these roles to help scale influence by WPP Media and set us up for the next era in this exciting space. Their complementary skillsets, extensive experience and strategic vision will be key in expanding our creative capabilities so that we can continue to deliver for our clients.”
“The future of brand-building is collaborative, social-first, and creatively fearless, and I’m thrilled to help lead the way. Influence is where it’s at, and there is a huge opportunity ahead of us to scale it. At WPP media, we do more than influence culture, we creator it, driving innovation and creativity on behalf of our clients,” added Maharaj.
Maclachlan added: “The way brands work with creators is changing, for good, and it’s really energising to explore and help shape the future of entertainment, influence, and brand with WPP Media’s teams, clients, and partners.”
