AKQA Melbourne appoints Daniel Robathan to GM role; Daniel Holleb joins as strategy director

AKQA has announced the appointment of Daniel Robathan (left) as general manager and Daniel Holleb (right) as strategy director in the Melbourne studio. Robathan and Holleb will report directly to managing partner Brian Vella.

Robathan joins from IBM with over 15 years’ experience leading digital and technology teams, and is a proven leader with a strong track record.

Says Robathan: “I passionately believe in the continued application of design thinking and technology – joining AKQA is serendipitous.” He takes the lead role on one of the agencies most long-standing, prestigious accounts, and will oversee work across studios in Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, and in South East Asia.

Originally from Berkeley, California, Holleb joins AKQA from Seoul, Korea where he was working in Samsung’s internal strategy consulting group. Prior to that, he received his MBA from Stanford University and was an operations manager at a multibillion dollar e-commerce retailer in Los Angeles.

Says Holleb: “I’m looking forward to partnering with our tech, CX and design teams to drive the digital transformation of the most loved brands in Australia.”

Says Vella: “These two very smart talents are an amazing addition to our existing, high achieving team. We’ve deliberately searched broadly and for broader backgrounds in this case, ensuring that we add new and different perspectives. We’re very excited about what they’ll bring to our clients and the work.”