AIMIA lures former CEO of CarAdvice.com.au David Holmes as new chief executive officer

AIMIA today announced the appointment of David Holmes as chief executive officer.

As CEO, Mr Holmes will be dedicated to the commercial development of AIMIA and the Australian digital industry as a whole.

Says Tim O’Neill, AIMIA president and joint managing director of Reactive: “David brings to AIMIA rock solid digital media experience and a deep understanding of growth and innovation within the digital industry. He has overseen some exceptional successes during his career and I am excited about the great direction and vision he will bring to AIMIA in his new role.”

With more than 17 years of experience in the digital industry, Holmes has managed numerous teams within agencies and publishers across content, development and advertising. He started his career at ACP before moving to the Audit Bureaux to launch Internet Measurement, a new concept at that time in Australia. From there, Holmes joined pioneering digital agency APL, later renamed OneDigital. Within eight years, he had led a management buyout and become managing director of what was then the largest digital agency in Australia. David was also the first digital member appointed to the board of the Advertising Federation of Australia (AFA) – and the youngest.

Says Holmes: “I’m delighted to be joining the AIMIA community especially at a time when Australia is rapidly growing into a digital leader. I believe that Australia has the most hard working and innovative digital community in the world and I am excited about the future of Australia’s digital economy as a major driver of local and international commercial success. I would like to thank the CarAdvice Board for their support over the past four years especially with the transition to this role.”

Most recently, Holmes was CEO at CarAdvice.com.au. At the time he was appointed, CarAdvice was a fledging Internet start-up. With Holmes at the helm, CarAdvice experienced triple figure revenue growth for three consecutive years and is now the largest editorial website for new cars in Australia. Holmes will remain on the CarAdvice Board while Justin Whelan has been promoted to the top job.

Along with the AIMIA Board of Directors, recruitment firm Harvey Nash was selected to carry out the search for the position due to its digital expertise, global network and reach.

Says Bridget Gray, managing director of Harvey Nash in Australia: “After thorough review of the Australian digital talent pool, David clearly stood out as a leader in the field.  Due to his wide ranging experience, David has a holistic view of the digital sector and he will be hitting the ground running to stir innovation in the industry.”