Ogilvy has named Kirsty Muddle as the new CEO of Ogilvy Network ANZ, taking the reins of the agency’s operations across Australia and New Zealand. Muddle, a seasoned creative industry leader, will oversee all aspects of the network, including advertising, PR, social and influencer, customer engagement, consulting, and health services.
Muddle joins Ogilvy from Dentsu, where she has been serving as CEO of Practices & Products for Australia and New Zealand. In that role, she led Dentsu’s practices in creative, PR, government, customer experience, Salesforce, insight, data and technology, commerce, and B2B marketing and media.
With over 25 years of experience across a range of roles—from founding new businesses to leading large established organisations—Muddle brings a strong mix of media expertise, data and tech knowledge, and creative leadership. Her record includes building innovative strategies that help clients grow their brands while fostering connected, high-performing creative teams.
Laurent Ezekiel, Global CEO of the Ogilvy Group, commented: “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.”
Rose Herceg, WPP President for Australia and New Zealand, added: “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.”
Speaking about joining Ogilvy, Muddle said: “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.”
Before her time at Dentsu, Muddle was a founding partner at cummins&partners, where she spent 11 years establishing the agency’s creative reputation. She also worked for nine years at Mindshare in both the UK and Australia, honing her media expertise and exploring the intersection of human behaviour and data. In addition, Muddle has received multiple awards, including Woman of the Year and Executive of the Year twice, and serves 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 officially join Ogilvy in early 2026. Her appointment comes at a time of momentum for the agency, which has recently won accounts including Tourism New Zealand and Specsavers. Ogilvy was also recognised at the 2025 APAC Effie Awards as Network of the Year, with wins including Gold in the Youth Marketing category for Ogilvy Sydney’s “A Masterclass in Government Sex Talks,” Silver for “Flying High in a Frugal World” for KFC, and two bronze awards.
Kirsty Muddle succeeds Sally Kissane, who stepped down from the ANZ CEO position in July after 30 years with Ogilvy.
