Coad left OMD at the end of 2009 to take up the position of CEO of CHE, a Clemenger Group creative agency. He said while he loved the challenge of running a creative agency he missed the media agency side.
“When this opportunity came up - working with people who I know, trust and have great respect for, it was a no-brainer,” he said.
The CEO role is newly created following the expansion of the PHD Network in Australia. It will encompass the PHD Sydney operation, and will include the recent successful launch of PHD Melbourne—set up to handle the A$120 million global ANZ media account.
It also includes responsibility for the Foundation business, a media-activation joint venture business between Clemenger Group and OmnicomMediaGroup.
Barry Cupples, CEO, Omnicom Media Group APAC, said Coad’s return is a "real coup" for the media industry. "He is a world-class talent and we welcome him home with open arms," Cupples said. "Truly, great news for PHD and the wider Omnicom Media Group network."