Former Saatchi DGS general manager Tony Gardner takes GM role at Ogilvy Wellington

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Tony Gardner 2.jpgOgilvy Wellington has appointed former Saatchi DGS general manager Tony Gardner as the agency’s new general manager, who will be on deck at the agency from Monday morning (18 October).

 

Fresh from three years as GM at Saatchi DGS – he left back in June – and, before that, several years in Australia and Asia with Publicis, his appointment marks a significant shift in Ogilvy’s operations in the capital. “Tony is a perfect fit”, says Ogilvy managing director Greg Partington. “He is a digital/data specialist and his appointment signals our intention to create a real digital capacity in our Wellington office.”

“I’ve just spent the last three years pretty successfully in the digital space”, adds Gardner. “It’s the biggest change in our industry and will remain so for the next few years.”

 

One of the biggest attractions for Gardner is the size and scale of the Ogilvy operation. “It’s great to be joining an agency with so much capability. I’ve been genuinely impressed by the depth and breadth of Ogilvy’s business,” he says, referring to the company’s full service fully integrated operation that has everything under one roof.

 

“Ogilvy is a bit of an untold story in New Zealand and, unless you’re close to it, you don’t realise how strong it is,” Gardner says.

 

Replacing former GM Fraser Holland who has returned to Hawkes Bay for lifestyle reasons, Gardner is unfazed by a return to the capital. “I was in Wellington for several years in the Nineties with Saatchi’s in its heyday. I love the city.”

 

He will be providing support for leading Ogilvy Wellington clients such as Kiwibank, Ministry of Education, EECA (Energy Efficiency Conservation Authority) Open Polytechnic, Department of Labour and Public Trust.