Ogilvy hires Kirsty Muddle from Dentsu for new CEO of Ogilvy Network ANZ role

Ogilvy has today announced the appointment of Kirsty Muddle as its new CEO of Ogilvy Network ANZ. A highly respected creative industry leader, Muddle will lead Ogilvy’s operations in Australia and New Zealand overseeing all capabilities spanning advertising, PR, social and influencer, customer engagement, consulting, and health.

Muddle joins Ogilvy from Dentsu, where she currently holds the role of CEO of Practices & Products for Australia and New Zealand, leading Dentsu’s practices across creative, PR, government, customer experience, Salesforce, insight, data and technology, commerce and B2B marketing & media.

She offers a robust understanding of media, deep expertise in data and tech, and a passion for creativity that will further accelerate the agency’s momentum at the intersection of its world-class talent and modern capabilities.

With more than 25 years’ diverse experience, from building new businesses from the ground up to leading large, established organisations, Muddle has been recognised for fostering innovative approaches that not only help clients grow their brands and forge more meaningful connections with customers, but also for inspiring and building connected creative teams.

Says Laurent Ezekiel, Global CEO of the Ogilvy Group: “Kirsty has an undeniable track record of delivering real value and impact for clients. She deeply understands the complex challenges businesses face today and champions creativity not just for its own sake, but as a powerful force that can solve those challenges. Her ability to build strong, trusting relationships with clients, always putting their needs first, and her knack for bringing together diverse capabilities – from social and influencer to cutting-edge technology and data – to create truly impactful solutions, makes her an exceptional leader for Ogilvy in this key market. I look forward to working with her as we enter this next exciting chapter for Ogilvy.”

Says Rose Herceg, WPP President for Australia and New Zealand: “When we searched for Ogilvy’s new leader, we felt we were asking for a unicorn – a modern marketer built for the emerging world, with strong business experience across the communications spectrum. In Kirsty, we found that rare blend; a genuine love for creativity that moves mountains, coupled with experience harnessing the disciplines that creativity needs to thrive in a dynamic, fast-moving media landscape. She was truly a standout choice, and we can’t wait to see the impact she’ll have at Ogilvy, bringing the kind of fresh, entrepreneurial perspective every business needs to stay ahead.”

Muddle says of joining the agency: “Ogilvy is a place where every leader I’ve encountered has a strong point of view, saw change as an opportunity, and spoke with clarity about AI, data and integration but wasn’t lost in it.  Importantly, they also never forgot why this business was born – the power of creativity to drive growth. That enduring belief made Ogilvy feel like home. I’m humbled to partner with an incredible set of clients and the exceptional talent within both Ogilvy and WPP to harness the network’s full power and collectively move us all forward into what’s next.”

Prior to joining Dentsu more than three years ago, Muddle was a founding partner at cummins&partners, where a stellar 11-year stint saw the agency establish a strong creative reputation.  She also spent nine years at Mindshare, both in the UK and Australia where she further strengthened her robust media skills, and her love for the interplay between humans and data. In addition to her agency leadership roles, Muddle has been awarded Woman of the Year and Executive of the Year twice, and sits on the boards of the Australian council of Advertising (ACA), the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), and Ridgeway; an Indigenous Social Change agency.

Muddle will start at Ogilvy in early 2026 and joins the agency at a time of momentum; Ogilvy was recently appointed by Tourism New Zealand and Specsavers among others.  It was also recognised for its ability to deliver meaningful impact for clients and their brands, earning the Network of the Year honour at the 2025 APAC Effie Awards, Gold in the Youth Marketing category for Ogilvy Sydney’s “A Masterclass in Government Sex Talks” for the Department of Health and Aged Care, Silver in the Engaged Community Services category for Ogilvy Sydney’s “Flying High in a Frugal World” for KFC, plus two other bronze awards.

Muddle replaces Sally Kissane, who stepped down from the ANZ CEO role in July after three decades with Ogilvy.