VML Officially Launches in Perth, Uniting Brisbane and Perth Operations
The event represented a significant milestone following the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, spotlighting the agency’s newly refined and expanded service offerings.
At the event, it was announced that Adam Kennedy has been appointed managing director of VML in Perth, in addition to his current role as managing director of VML in Brisbane. This follows the news that Gavin Bain will depart the agency in August after a remarkable 15-year tenure, during which the agency evolved through various phases – Meerkats, Wunderman Thompson, and now VML. Adam, who has led VML Brisbane for the past six years, brings extensive experience from Clemenger BBDO and AMV BBDO in the UK to his new role.
In other changes chief strategy officer, Melanie Wiese has also left the business after strategically leading the Meerkats and Wunderman Thompson business for 10 years, Andrew Kolb has been appointed head of strategy for Perth and Brisbane, and Stu Turner has been appointed as executive creative director across both markets.
Supporting Adam in the Perth office will be Barry Walker as acting managing partner and head of business transformation, alongside Ellie Quinti, appointed in January as client services director.
Reflecting on his time with the company, Gavin Bain commented, “I leave the agency with the fondest of memories, and proud of what we collectively achieved across the 15 years of Meerkats, Wunderman Thompson and now VML. It’s the right time for me to exit the business after supporting the VML integration, which is now complete and ready to roll. My thanks to the whole VML team, our amazing clients, and to the many team members and friends that have been so supportive across the years.”
Thomas Tearle, CEO of VML AUNZ, said, "Gavin’s contributions during the merger have been invaluable. Over our time working together, we've become good friends—he’s a fantastic guy and will be missed by us all! We wish him all the best in his future endeavours and will cheer him on as he embarks on his next chapter.
As we move forwards post-merge, we are incredibly optimistic for our business in Perth and can’t wait to build on the Meerkats/Wunderman Thompson legacy.
We are thrilled to welcome Adam to his expanded role, confident that his leadership will bring a new era of value to our clients in Perth and WA.
Following the successful unification of the Sydney and Melbourne offices in 2021, we're sure this structure will flourish in Brisbane and Perth with Adam at the helm too."
Adam Kennedy, managing director, VML Brisbane and Perth added, "I feel very privileged to lead the incredibly talented team at VML in Perth, alongside my existing team in Brisbane. Gav and Mel have created a lasting legacy. I can’t wait to build on this with Barry, Ellie and the entire VML team, unlocking future growth of our clients through VML’s fully connected capabilities.”
