DO. Agency Promotes Tom Ormes To CCO As It Prepares For Global Expansion

DO. Agency has promoted Tom Ormes to the role of group chief creative officer, a newly-created position designed to support the agency as it gears up for international growth. 

Tom is one of the agency’s founders, and formerly executive creative director. In his new role, he will oversee creative operations across Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the UK – where DO. is preparing to open an agency later this year. The ECD role has since been filled by Neale Horrigan, whilst Tian Skene has been named client service director, Tom Denton as head of craft, and Issy Haley as senior account director.

"It's a really exciting time for DO. at the moment, there's a real buzz around the business, and it feels really good,” Tom told LBB. “We've had some mega talent join us, and we're expanding rapidly. We need greater support across all those different markets, and my role is to try and help with that."

The Australian operations are “going from strength to strength at the moment, with team growth and new business wins,” and Tom said it “felt like the right time for me to start spending a bit more time across all the different markets and effectively trying to get each of those markets to think and feel and behave like a DO. agency.

"In effect, it's just about trying to replicate the really positive steps that the Australian business has had over the last six to 12 months in particular, and make sure that those values are held across the group."

As the agency scales, Tom is focused on maintaining a clear and consistent brand, no matter where in the world the agency is located.

"We've always had a pretty clear point of view on creativity and its role in all aspects of the business. It's important that as we expand, that point of view remains consistent. We love what we do, and we're a creative solutions company, and those solutions are about driving success for our clients with ideas.”

Asked about his plans for the role, Tom said he wants to ”in effect, just keep doing what we're doing.” 

“I don't think it's really about reinventing the wheel. We know the type of people that we want to attract – not only the senior people, but the talent that sits around them. We have this super simple philosophy, which is less talk and more do. We want to roll up the sleeves and get the job done."

Looking ahead, Southeast Asia and the UK are key priorities in the agency’s global roadmap. Tom added,  "the Asia business is probably where a lot of the big growth is happening at the moment, and that's really exciting to be a part of.

“We're in the process of opening another office in Malaysia as well at the moment, that's the sixth office in Southeast Asia, and then obviously the big waters of the UK next. So watch this space."