KWP+Partners Business Development Director John ‘JB’ Baker Dies Aged 56

Leading Adelaide adland figure John Baker AM ESM, known as JB, has passed away.

John spent nearly three decades at KWP+Partners, where he was made joint managing partner in 2008 and managing director in 2013. He had served as group business development director since 2022.

KWP+Partners’ chief executive officer, David O’Loughlin, remembered John as “a fierce advocate for people he worked with”.

“He loved life in the trenches, fighting for good work, fighting for his clients, and fighting for what was right and just,” David said.

“Although fierce in the fray, JB was gentle. A big man with a big heart, a big smile, and a big impact on everything he touched.

“My friend, my partner in crime, and my lunch buddy, JB leaves a big, big hole in our hearts and in the world today.”

James Rickard of the Adelaide Advertising and Design Club described him as a “true legend”.

“A towering figure in Adelaide’s advertising industry, the surf lifesaving movement and community service, JB’s career and contributions left a lasting mark in boardrooms, on beaches and in the hearts of countless people,” James said.

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John was also a long-time member of Surf Life Saving Australia, and an active patrolling member of the Brighton Surf Life Saving Club for over 40 years.

He served as the South Australian president of Surf Life Saving Australia for a decade between 2011 and 2021, when he became the national president. He also served as the Commercial Communications Council chair for five years until 2020.

He is survived by his wife Jo and children Harry, Kate, and Annabel.