Ogilvy has appointed Kirsty Muddle as its new CEO of Ogilvy Network ANZ. She joins 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.

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. She brings to Ogilvy a wide range of experience, from building new businesses from the ground up to leading large, established organisations, and a deep understanding of media, deep expertise in data and tech. In her 25-year career she has become 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.

Laurent Ezekiel, global CEO of the Ogilvy Group, stated, “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.”

Muddle commented, “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. During her 11-year stint, the agency established a strong creative reputation.  She also spent nine years at Mindshare, both in the UK and Australia where she strengthened her 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. She joins at a time of growth. Ogilvy was recently appointed by Tourism New Zealand and Specsavers among others.  It also won 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.