Jenny Mak Joins jnr. As ECD And Partner

Trans-Tasman agency jnr. has brought Jenny Mak on board as the agency’s executive creative director and partner.

“jnr. has a really unique mix of creative guts and genuine warmth that really stood out to me,” Jenny told LBB.

“It's really rare to find a place that's independent in mindset but deeply collaborative in practice, and it's even rarer to find one where diverse perspectives are not just welcomed, but woven into the fabric of the work.”

Formerly creative partner at DDB, Jenny will remain based in Sydney and begin her new role in July. 

She will work closely with John Marshall, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Hāua, Ngāti Maniapoto, managing director and founder, and Ryan O’Connell, chief strategy officer and founder. All ex-Ogilvy, the trio have worked together before, including on brands like Coca Cola South Pacific. 

“I was drawn to the creative ambition and the guy's commitment to building something really inclusive from the ground up. But honestly, it was the people – I have massive respect for both John and Ryan. They're both world-class leaders in their own rights, and they're even better humans. They're just good dudes. 

“We've known each other for a while, and trust and respect is the number one thing when you're joining something like this. From our first conversations, there was a shared sense of values and ambition that just felt really natural,” Jenny said. 

Coming in as both executive creative director and partner, she added, “there's a real sense of possibility” as it means she will “get to help shape the creative culture from the inside out.” 

“It's not just the work we make, it's how we make it, who we make it with, and the kind of environment we're building together that's massively motivating for me. I have the chance to help shape not just the work, but the culture.

“I want us to make work that's brave, culturally relevant and deeply human. I think it's all about really killer insights, and I know Ryan and John are the kings at leading that kind of work, so I'm super pumped to be part of that. But just as importantly, I want to help build a creative environment where people feel safe to take risks and be themselves, and I think that's where the best ideas happen.”

For Ryan, one of the biggest factors in Jenny’s hire was that the team “always loved working with her as a person.” 

“That was the first thing we looked at when we asked ‘who do we want to bring in from a creative point of view?’ – it's a big role. It's a really important role for jnr., but it's an important role for us to make sure we maintain the culture and the chemistry that we've got going now.”

Almost 18 months in with the agency going from strength to strength, John said, “we really see Jenny coming on board and taking us to that next level.”

“We have great ambitions for jnr. in terms of growth and in terms of the work that we want to make. Having a creative leader who's also a business leader and a people leader, that's why we think Jenny ticked all the right boxes.

“We're starting to talk to some of our clients about what’s next and Jenny coming on board, and all of our clients are super pumped about it. We’ll be growing our clients, making the most of that, but also for any new clients that want to come on board, this is just going to close that loop in terms of our offering at jnr.”