Paul Bradbury exits TBWA after nearly two decades, amid Omnicom shake-up

Paul Bradbury has stepped down as president and regional CEO of TBWA Australia and New Zealand after 19 years with the network, amid a broader leadership restructure at Omnicom.

Bradbury’s departure comes on the heels of Omnicom forming a new regional entity, Omnicom Oceania, consolidating all Australian and New Zealand operations under one leadership structure. Former Deloitte Digital global CMO Nick Garrett has been appointed CEO of the new group, reporting directly to Omnicom chairman and CEO John Wren.

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Bradbury has been one of the most influential, if not stable, figures in the Omnicom network, overseeing a broad portfolio of agencies across TBWA’s Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland offices. That includes bespoke agency +61 for Telstra, Apple-dedicated Media Arts Lab, PR firms Eleven and Fleishman Hillard and other specialist shops including Bolt, Fabric and sustainability-focused TBWA\Sustain.

Under his leadership, the TBWA collective grew to more than 450 staff and stewarded key accounts such as Telstra, Apple, Amazon, Defence Force Recruiting for the Australian Government, Kraft Heinz and Goodman Fielder.

TBWA has long been seen as the standout performer within Omnicom’s creative agency stable, particularly in light of recent turbulence across the group. The merger of Clemenger BBDO agencies triggered a wave of senior departures, while DDB has also seen leadership change and the loss of two of its longest-standing clients - McDonald’s and Westpac - over the past year.

The move may also fuel further speculation about the future direction of Omnicom’s agency brands under the new Oceania structure, particularly in the context of the pending Omnicom and IPG global merger, which received regulatory approval in Australia last week.

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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) cleared the proposed acquisition on the grounds that it is unlikely to substantially lessen competition in the local media and marketing services market.

The decision removes a key hurdle for the global merger of two of the world’s largest advertising holding companies. In Australia, Omnicom owns DDB, TBWA, Clemenger Group, OMD, PHD Media and Hearts & Science, while IPG controls UM, Initiative, 303 MullenLowe, IPG Mediabrands and Octagon.

Marketing-Interactive has contacted TBWA for comment.