McCann flags new business push with Hong Kong MD Vince Viola to chief growth officer role

McCann Australia has transferred Vince Viola from his role as managing director/EVP of McCann Hong Kong, to fill the newly appointed role of chief growth officer.

Says McCann Worldgroup chairman and CEO, Ben Lilley: “We are delighted to be welcoming back a management professional of Vince’s calibre, to lead what will be a major new business push for McCann’s national operations this year. 2013 was a strong new business year for McCann, winning key new clients like Google, Bendigo Bank, Lion and government projects.

“We also won more than 200 trophies for 15 different campaigns, across Metro Trains, Google, Specsavers and V/Line, as well as global recognition for our Australian work on major network clients like MasterCard and L’Oreal Paris. So we are in a strong position to launch a more dedicated new business drive this year.”

Says Viola: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be returning not just to Australia, but to the world’s most awarded agency. McCann is producing the most exciting work in the country right now. The agency has an amazing body of work to take to new clients, with integrated case-studies that have been extensively awarded for both their creativity and effectiveness. Plus a first-rate team of talent who I can’t wait to start pitching with. I’d say I’ve got the best new business role in Australia.”

Viola (pictured above left with Lilley) is McCann Worldgroup’s second key senior management appointment in just over a month, with the announcement in December of McCann’s poaching of Wunderman’s national head of digital Brent Clarke’s to head up its data, CRM and digital offering MRM Australia as Managing Director.

“Our growth over the past 12 months has allowed us to create not just some brilliant work, but also some brilliant new roles in our national operation,” said Lilley. “We’re continuing to look out for more top talent who want to become part of McCann’s reinvention. It’s an exciting time to be at the agency.”

Viola began his career in Melbourne at George Patterson, working on Nissan Motors, then in Sydney with Saatchi & Saatchi on accounts including Toyota, Commonwealth Bank and Helene Curtis, then McCann where he managed accounts including Johnson & Johnson, Cathay Pacific and Lever Rexona. He spent several years in New York, first at Ogilvy & Mather as Senior Partner heading up Kraft Foods’ Maxwell House account. Then as SVP/Director Business Development at D’Arcy, Masius, Benton & Bowles, New York, as well as managing a portfolio of Procter & Gamble brands for the US market.

He returns from more than a decade with McCann Hong Kong where he managed the Cathay Pacific Central Team, a dedicated agency managing all integrated marketing for Cathay Pacific Airways globally across 27 markets. During his time in Hong Kong, Viola also managed McCann’s Asia Pacific multinational account hub with clients including Coca-Cola, Marriott Hotels and Microsoft, and was Regional Director for Momentum, McCann’s brand activation agency.