Leo Burnett Australia Announce Chief Creative Officer and Melbourne General Manager

Leo Burnett Australia today announced three key internal promotions, including Andy Fergusson who moves into the new role of chief creative officer, and Julia Sheehan as Melbourne general manager.

Fergusson, who was most recently national executive creative director, has been the creative lead for recent award-winning work including Suncorp’s ‘Resilience’ brand platform and Diageo’s ‘Bundy Mixer’.

In other changes to the creative department, Marijke Spain has been promoted from associate creative director to creative director. Spain has led some of Leo Burnett’s most-awarded work over the last few years and has been instrumental in building a strong and creatively ambitious client relationship with Suncorp.

Dave Bowman, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe, commented, "I’m incredibly excited to see Andy take this well-deserved next step in his career. Under his leadership, Leo’s has established a reputation for category-defying creativity that has been recognised at the highest levels on the world stage. I can’t wait to see what he can achieve next with his amazing team. In the same spirit, I’m equally delighted to see Marijke step into her new leadership role. Marijke has been instrumental in shaping the creative output at Leos, taking brands to new heights. And now, as creative director, she is perfectly placed to make an even more pronounced impact on the work and our clients’ businesses."

Meanwhile, Julia Sheehan has been appointed Melbourne general manager, from her role as head of business management. She takes over from Kate Silver, who has left the business after eight years.

As part of the Melbourne team, Julia has worked with clients including HBF, Saputo and Lifeblood, and has been critical to the agency’s continued growth and trusted client relationships in the seven years she has spent rising through the ranks at the agency. 

Michael Rebelo, CEO of Publicis Groupe ANZ, said, “We are so pleased to see Julia step up as Melbourne GM. She has played an integral role in fostering some of the agency’s key client relationships. Together with the rest of the talented leadership team, these strategic promotions underscore Leo Burnett’s commitment to innovation and client success. I look forward to seeing Julia’s leadership and Andy’s creative prowess set new benchmarks in the industry. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Kate for her tremendous contribution to Leo Burnett and wish her the very best for the future.” 

Kate said, “After almost eight fantastic years at Leo Burnett, I have decided to leave the business to spend more time with my family. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some amazing people, two incredible female CEOs and a swathe of excellent clients. I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved, and while I feel ready for a new chapter, I’m also sad to say goodbye to a place that has given me so much.”