Michael Rebelo has been chief executive officer of Saatchi & Saatchi for six years. There won’t be a seventh. Rebelo will continue to be chief executive officer of Publicis Communications ANZ and chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi ANZ. Anthony Gregorio has been appointed as chief executive officer of Saatchi & Saatchi to replace him.

Gregorio was group chief executive officer of Havas for nearly eight years until October last year, when Host and Havas Sydney joined to become Host/Havas. He has been a board director of Foodbank since 2011 and a board director of sustainable logistics company, Liftoff, since November 2017. Before Havas, Gregorio was national chief executive officer of The Furnace and from 2002-2005, managing director of The Moult Agency.

He will now lead Saatchi & Saatchi nationally, and will be supported by Rebelo.

l-r: Anthony Gregorio & Michael Rebelo

Rebelo commented, “I’ve known Anthony as a fellow leader in our industry and have always had a great deal of admiration for his strength of values, his character and for the impact he’s made on the agency’s business, product and the cultures he’s led. I’ve been privileged and lucky to be doing my dream job for the past six years, but now it’s time for a change and I couldn’t think of anyone better to take the brand, our clients and people to new places.

“I’d like to thank my team and clients in both Sydney and Melbourne for their inspiration and commitment over the years. I won’t be going far so will continue to support our people, clients and Anthony from my role as Publicis Communications CEO.”

Gregorio added, “I’m honoured and excited to be joining Saatchi & Saatchi. It’s a brand I have always admired, one with an amazing legacy. Now more than ever, the power of creativity to create a business advantage is crucial for our clients. I look forward to building on what Mike has achieved, working alongside Chief Creative Officer Mike Spirkovski and the team.”