40 Under 40 2020: Antonia Glezakos, OMD Melbourne

Antonia Glezakos

Managing partner
OMD Melbourne
Australia

The devastating combination of the bushfire crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic made 2020 one of the most challenging retail years in Australia. But if there was one person who could rally the troops through the volatile retail landscape, it was the “heart of the team”—as Antonia Glezakos’ colleagues refer to her.

The managing partner of OMD could not have foreseen the trials that awaited in 2020 when she accepted the role late last year as executive lead across the Coles Group business, which entails helming a team of 46 for one of Australia’s largest retailers. Her mandate was to evolve the team’s capabilities and drive business results in collaboration with Coles’ newly formed marketing leadership team.

Fortunately, Glezakos has 16 years of experience working with clients across industries to draw upon. Building relationships and transforming teams have been her area of expertise as she progressed through five promotions since joining OMD in 2008. With a finger on clients’ business pulse, Glezakos led OMD to renew five client contracts in Melbourne without the requirement of an external pitch review in the past year. She also pitched and won the AU$7 million (approximately US$5 million) Asahi Beverages business in 2019.

Hence, it was no surprise that Glezakos hit a home run again with Coles. The retail giant was so impressed with her work that in October 2020, it honoured the agency with the “Part of the Family” Award, which recognises outstanding contribution from suppliers to Coles’ business.

The empathetic leader also drives the Melbourne charity pillar, OMDonate, which supports clients to raise funds or source media packages for charities. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, she ran personal check-in sessions with over 40 OMD employees to ensure they were coping.

As Michael Gregory, an OMD account executive, puts it, “Nothing better exemplifies her people investment than her mentorship during the Cannes Young Lions competition, [when] she guided myself and others to produce work to be proud of.”