SapientNitro Brisbane elevates Barnett and Staal to creative leadership roles as joint ECDs Burchill and Hartley depart to pursue other interests

Ralph Barnett and Cristian Staal will assume creative leadership of SapientNitro Brisbane – replacing five-year creative co-heads James Burchill and Nancy Hartley (pictured below), who are leaving the agency to pursue other interests.

Barnett (top left) and Staal (top right) have been at SapientNitro for five years, during which they have been among the most awarded creatives in the industry, including winning a record three Cannes Grand Prix for their “Best Job in the World” campaign for Tourism Queensland.

The pair will report to worldwide chief creative officer Gaston Legorburu. Says Legorburu: “Ralph and Cristian are brilliant idea engineers, skilled at blending creativity with technology seamlessly and with natural flair.

“Our industry today not only requires talent that can produce great advertising spots, but that is comfortable telling great brand stories across integrated customer experiences. Ralph and Cristian are equally comfortable in traditional and digital realms, always starting with customer insight.”

Says Paul Bennett, managing director, SapientNitro Australia: “As we’ve expanded our Australia business beyond traditional advertising and strengthened our capabilities in digital marketing and technology, we are confident that Ralph and Cristian’s leadership in Brisbane will build on our momentum. Ralph and Cristian are adept at applying cross-channel, holistic thinking to connect consumers and brands in new ways, and we look forward to seeing their magic come to life for clients.”