Ben Coulson Departs Dentsu AUNZ as CCO, Brett Colliver Elevated in Interim

Ben Coulson has exited Dentsu Creative Australia and New Zealand after 18 months as chief creative officer.

Brett Colliver, Dentsu Creative New Zealand's co-CCO, has been promoted to also lead the Australian creative product as the business hunts for Ben's replacement. LBB understands he left the business around Easter.

“Ben has moved on from our team, and we thank him for his contribution and his passion around the craft. We wish him well for what’s next and he remains a good friend of this business," Kirsty Muddle, Dentsu's AUNZ CEO of practice and product, told LBB.

"We are lucky we have two revered creative leaders in our region, [and] Titanium, Pencil, and Lion winning capability in Brett Colliver and Mike Felix. They’ve done some notable work whilst they’ve been here at dentsu over that last 24 months and Brett will step into the creative leadership role for Australia as an interim step."

Ben added, "The DC crew are great people, and good work is bubbling up across all offices and disciplines. I have learned a lot about what a properly integrated agency can do.

"Thanks to the whole team for their hard work and support, it really has been a happy home."

Ben joined in December 2023 after stints as CCO at HERO/McCann, Clemenger BBDO, VMLY&R, and George Patterson.

In March, he told LBB of Dentsu AUNZ's creative journey,  “If there's a hill that we're climbing, I think we've got ourselves out of base camp." He said he was a longstanding fan of Dentsu, which is "a hot network that goes about its business quietly, but produces absolute A-grade progressive, modern work.”

“This will be the only chat I'll have about our intentions and our work this year. I'm going to get on with making the work from here on in. You won't hear me crowing about it,” he said.

“We love the quiet achiever thing. It's working for us, and we want to continue it … this will be the last time you hear from me this year. I've got plenty of work to do.”

Now, Kirsty is on the hunt for a CCO who can deliver on the business' ambition of delivering "tier 1 work with our tier 1 clients."  

In an interview with LBB alongside chief client officer Cate Stuart-Robertson and chief growth and strategy officer David Halter, the CEO said 2025 will"be about a level of growth in the right way, sustainable growth, the kind of work that we want to be famous for, the kind of work that's going to be enduring and attract clients and make us competitive in the market."

In 2024, Dentsu Creative retained and added Tag to the L’Oreal remit, won Adobe, expanded its relationship with Amex by winning its social work, and survived “big change” at NBN.

Dentsu's recent local work has included a 'DeliverRobe' and a live banner ad activation for The ICONIC, and a campaign using billboards' spare processing power for cancer research.

Ben becomes the latest high-profile people move in the local market. This week, Justin Graham stepped down as APAC CEO of M+C Saatchi in line with Dani Bassil's appointment as AUNZ group CEO. Last week, Katrina Alvarez-Jarratt exited TBWA\Sydney as ECD after nine years at the agency. Ben and Dani's former agency, Clemenger BBDO, continues its search for a CCO.