Aussie expat Wayne Deakin joins AKQA in London in executive creative director role

AKQA has announced the appointment of Aussie expat Wayne Deakin (right) as executive creative director at its London office.

Deakin will report into international executive creative director and Kiwi expat Duan Evans (left). Wayne will look after the London creative team alongside executive creative director Masaya Nakade and head of experience design Rob McIntosh.

Wayne brings with him over 20 years of industry experience and has held creative leadership positions in Australia, Europe and the US. Deakin started his career at BCM Partnership in Brisbane, followed by a brief stint at GPY&R. His work has been recognised with more than 150 awards.

In addition to his global work portfolio, Wayne has earned an MA in semiotics and cognitive sciences from the Queensland University of Technology.

Says Evans: “Wayne is an impressive creative leader with a proven track record for building trust and confidence with his teams and clients. He is singularly focussed on creating ideas that move businesses forward by providing meaningful and original experiences for their customers. It is with great excitement that we welcome Wayne to AKQA.”

Says Deakin: “I am incredibly excited to be here. I’ve always respected AKQA for brilliance and pioneering ideas. The work is consistently reinventing our business and brands. I value the meritocratic culture and entrepreneurial mind-set of the AKQA team, which make me feel very much at home.”

(Picture: Dominique Daniel)