Rodney Greenfield takes on wider AI and data role at AKQA Australia

AKQA has named Rodney Greenfield executive director of ai & data, joining the agency’s Australian leadership team.

Greenfield, who previously served as technical director, now takes on a broader remit across Australia and New Zealand, shaping AKQA’s strategy and offering as artificial intelligence becomes a defining force in marketing, customer experience and business transformation.

He will work alongside managing director Justine Leong, chief creative officer Tara McKenty, chief strategy officer Iona Macgregor, executive experience design director David Clarke, engineering director Miriam Healy, and chief growth officer Jeremy Smart.

“What I admire about AKQA is its ambition,” Greenfield said. “We solve hard problems in beautiful ways, pushing the craft further. Many talk about innovation, but AKQA delivers it with a level of elegance, depth and precision that’s rare.

“Too often, LLMs are deployed as cost-cutting tools and miss their potential to transform brand engagement. The real opportunity lies in creating contextually rich, visually immersive, and human-centred experiences that blend intelligence with creativity – enabling entirely new forms of emotional and experiential connection between brands and audiences.”

Greenfield brings more than 25 years of experience across design, software development and technology leadership. He began his career in graphic design before moving into commercial software development and later agency-side leadership, giving him a perspective across both creative and engineering disciplines.

Since joining AKQA six years ago, Greenfield has led technology work on clients including Bunnings and spearheaded AI projects such as generative AI-powered sales agents for Microsoft’s channel ecosystem, computer vision tools for the building industry, and AI-powered journey mapping and growth modelling for Japan Airlines.

AKQA Australia managing director Justine Leong said the appointment underscores the agency’s approach to AI as a strategic foundation, not just a cost-saving tool.

“AI is now a battleground for agency differentiation, and Rodney’s appointment to the leadership team reinforces our commitment to treating it not just as a tool, but as a strategic foundation,” Leong said. “Clients want faster delivery and lower costs – but quality is often the missing link.

“At AKQA, our craft-oriented, human-centred ethos doesn’t change with AI; it pushes us to expand the creative horizon, fusing intelligence, design and visual storytelling to deliver richer, more resonant brand experiences. Efficiency should never come at the cost of humanity or craft. With Rodney, AKQA will be at the forefront of intelligent, adaptive, and human-led innovation.”