Innocean Australia Hires Brendan Willenberg to Succeed Wez Hawes

Innocean Australia has appointed Brendan Willenberg as ECD, joining from Cummins&Partners and succeeding Wez Hawes.

“I think I’ll bring a creative maturity burst, not necessarily through just work but throughout the customer journey as a whole,” Brendan told LBB. 

“I’ll certainly be looking at the whole picture while working at Innocean.” 

CEO Jasmin Bedir agreed Brendan brings the “maturity and tenacity” to help her build an end-to-end creative company. “We feel like we have found our perfect match.”

“When I started four years ago, we were just doing ads,” she expanded in an interview with LBB. 

“Since then, we’ve added almost the entire marketing spectrum of skills into the agency because that’s what our clients wanted and needed. We’ve added content to CRM to social and now with media, and as a leadership team we need to be well versed in all of that.”

Brendan noted Innocean’s ‘end-to-end’ capabilities are what attracted him to the role. “There’s ambitious plans to add new skills and capabilities and as a creative in 2024 to have somewhat of a pick and mix, when you get a brief in you can pick the right people from anywhere within the agency,” he said. 

Brendan began his career at McCann, before moving to Clemenger, where he spent more than a decade as executive creative director. He then moved to Archibald Williams in the same role before becoming ECD at Cummins&Partners earlier this year.

He has worked on campaigns such as ‘Pitvertising’ for Rexona, ‘Losing Lena’ for Code Like a Girl, ‘Support Acts’ for Wrigley’s Extra, and ‘Fallout with a V’ for V Energy drinks.

Brendan’s appointment follows Innocean’s launch of a media planning and buying division, with three foundation clients in Hyundai, Geotab, and Sandhurst Fine Foods, and led by Kathryn Furnari.

Chief strategy officer Giorgia Butler told LBB Brendan’s hire continues momentum within the agency.

“We’ve recognised a lot of change, fragmented media spaces, the difficulty of getting a customer's attention and the difficulty of executing a client's vision when you don’t have the whole picture.

“We’re excited that those friction points that we’re used to working around are not going to stop us. We can move more smoothly and more fluidly.

“Our clients will continue to benefit from the advantages that come when we connect the whole picture together and it doesn’t hurt that he’s [Brendan] also just a very good egg.”

 

Brendan added, “Jas has transformed Innocean into an offering with a formidable set of disciplines at the same time that I’ve undertaken a similar creative odyssey. Our paths have collided at the perfect time. Between Jas, Giorgia, and myself, I’m excited to bring our creativity and chemistry to the phenomenal client roster and the broader Australian market.” 

 

Jasmin thanked Wez Hawes, who has now left the agency and will join 72andSunny as CCO in the new year. “We had a great four years together, and we wish him nothing but the best.”

She added, “2025 is going to be a massive year for us. I haven’t been this excited in a really long time.”