McCann Australia beefs up media capabilities with senior hires and Australian Unity win

McCann Australia has boosted its media capabilities with a number of new recruits, including four senior appointments across Sydney and Melbourne as it continues to grow its integrated offering.

The appointments follow 12 months of solid growth for the agency’s media services, which include planning, buying and data capabilities and recent win of Australian Unity’s media account, worth $5 million in billings. National media billings for McCann Australia are now approaching $100 million.

In Sydney, Lyndell Sawyer (above, left) has joined as Head of Media, leading the agency’s burgeoning media team across clients such as Defence Housing Australia, Universities Australia and Greenstone Financial Services.

With over 15 years’ experience in digital strategy, planning and buying, Sawyer was most recently digital media manager at media specialist agency Paykel and has previously worked at ZenithOptimedia Group, News Corp and NetX among other companies.

In Melbourne, Jane Walshe (above, right) has taken on the role of media director. She has 20 years’ experience across agency and client side and was most recently client services director at Maxus Melbourne. Walshe’s expertise spans multiple categories, including Ffnancial services/insurance, FMCG, entertainment, QSR, automotive and retail.

Also making the move to McCann’s St Kilda office are Rachel Teh as senior channel planner and Emma Black as senior media account manager. Teh was previously communications planning director at MediaCom Melbourne, while Black joins from Maxus Melbourne where she was business executive.

Further boosting McCann’s media firepower are Callum Clarke as media account manager and Alana Adair as media account executive. Clarke also joins from Maxus Melbourne where he has excelled as a media professional in his time there, working on seven client accounts within the first 12 months.

Says Ben Lilley, chairman and CEO, McCann Worldgroup: “As McCann continues to grow its media capabilities and integrated offering in response to client demand, expanding our team and bringing in the right skills becomes increasingly important. In these brilliant new hires we have found the right mix of skills and knowledge to continue to further strengthen our rapidly growing national media and data offering.”

Says Walshe: “In our media fragmented world, combining highly creative and strategic campaign solutions with the most effective media solutions is crucial in delivering results for clients. McCann’s integrated offering allows us to tick all those boxes so I am excited to lend a hand in helping grow the agency’s media offering.”

McCann Australia’s media clients include Australian Unity, AGL Energy, Hollard, Defence Housing Australia, BIC, Universities Australia, University of Melbourne, Plunkett Homes Group, Greenstone Financial Services, Melbourne Airport and Metro Trains among others.