CB Hot Suit Takes: Magda Wood, Associate Senior Account Director, Gatecrasher Advertising

CB Hot Suit Takes is our new Q&A series for senior leaders and senior suits across the WA industry ~ covering careers, creativity, challenges and the song that sums it all up. Next up in the hot seat is Magda Wood, Associate Senior Account Director, Gatecrasher Advertising.

1. What made you get into advertising?
After completing a Hospitality degree and paying my dues across two boutique hotels in Johannesburg, I knew it was time for a change. So I did what any self-respecting job- seeker did in the good old days – I spotted an ad in the newspaper (yes, an actual paper newspaper) for a Receptionist/PA to an MD, faxed my CV (yes, faxed it), and within a month I’d landed my first role in advertising. I quickly found my way into Account Management and never once looked back.

2. Which piece of work are you most proud of, and why?
There’s been so much to be proud of over the years, but if I had to pick a highlight, it’s the recent WA Police Force ‘People Like You’ campaign. Yes, it was big, but what made it truly special was everything behind it: the depth of the insights, the rigorous research, the genuine client partnership, and an agency team that was completely aligned from day one. It’s a reminder of what’s possible when everyone’s rowing in the same direction.

3. What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role right now?
Staying open to change – genuinely open, not just paying lip service to it. The way we work is evolving faster than ever, and the challenge is adapting with purpose: embracing what’s new without abandoning the core advertising principles that still matter. The real question I sit with every day is: how do we build something that’s still relevant and needed ten years from now?

4. Was there a moment, a course, an experience, a mentor or advice that really kick-started your career?
It’s been less of a single spark and more of a slow, beautiful burn. Back in hotel management, I was placed at a gorgeous property in Stellenbosch where Ogilvy would hire out the whole venue running conferences, all-night brainstorms, and let’s just say some very lively social events. At the time I genuinely thought it looked like the best job in the world. I was lucky enough to find out for myself when I joined Ogilvy Health in Johannesburg, before eventually making the move to Perth. Since then, 18 solid years have been shaped by brilliant people – Callum McKenzie and Brett Wheeler at Rare, Tony Scampoli, Adam Barker and Lori Canalini at Gatecrasher, and countless industry partners, clients and suppliers who each left their mark. I’m a product of all of them.

5. What’s the most recent thing you’ve learned – professionally or personally?
I learn something new every single day – mostly from my 12-year-old son, who is deeply inspired by YouTube and gaming influencers and remains genuinely baffled by what I actually do for a “real job.” On a personal note though: I recently discovered I can hold my own in Div 1 Tennis without a UTR rating in the upcoming Mixed Doubles season. Turns out some things you only find out by just giving it a go.

6. What song best sums up your career so far?
Madonna’s Ray of Light from 1998 – fast, reinvented, and refusing to be put in a box. I’d like to think that’s me too, though my 12-year-old would probably suggest something from a gaming playlist instead.”

Read previous Hot Suit Takes below:

Jo Bulline – Trilogy
Brendon Lewis – The Brand Agency
Georgie Frampton – KWP+Partners
Nicole Lennox Gray – Wildlings Creative Agency
Hannah Muirhead – Chapter
Silvana Visinoni – Workhouse Advertising
Nat Green – Block
Kelsey Fraser – VML
Simon Stewart – Rare
Kate Kenyon – Berlin 
Nita Davey – Trilogy
Amber Martin – Hypnosis Creative Agency