Marie Green
Aug 26, 2010

MediaCom's Mat Baxter takes over as CEO of UM Australia

SYDNEY - Mat Baxter has been appointed as CEO of UM Australia with current CEO Henry Tajer stepping aside to concentrate full time on his role as executive chairman of Mediabrands.

MediaCom's Mat Baxter takes over as CEO of UM Australia

Tajer will pass over the reigns to Baxter on 1 December when he steps in full time as executive chairman of Mediabrands to focus on the growth and expansion of the IPG agency's local footprint.

Baxter is currently chief strategy officer of MediaCom Australia and former founding partner and CEO Asia-Pacific of Naked Communications.

"Mediabrands is a way for us to provide clients with a full array of resources in communications planning, implementation and measurement," said Tajer. "To do this well our key companies need the highest calibre of leadership and talent. Mat's decision to join UM as CEO is testament to the strength of our vision and a huge endorsement for UM and Mediabrands' plans for the future."

"I'm enormously excited about joining UM," said Baxter. "UM was one of the few agencies I genuinely feared competing with in my previous roles. They've got a hugely impressive track record and an even more impressive client list. They're undoubtedly Australia's most creative communications agency. I'm absolutely thrilled to be their new CEO."

Tajer said that Baxter's experience and clear vision for how media can be leveraged for clients was a key fit for UM Australia. Baxter's arrival at UM will be the second time he and Tajer have worked together – the pair met at Zenith Media about eight years ago.

Baxter commented, "UM is an agency with great momentum. It has amazingly strong client relationships and is renowned as one of the best collaborators with media owners. I hope to build on that success even more and carve out a position for us at the very top of the media agency table."

With Baxter's appointment, Tajer will focus on broadening Mediabrands' Australian operations. In addition to existing communications skills, the group will develop greater capabilities for clients in social media platforms and other communications channels.

"Mat's arrival frees me up to take a more holistic approach to growing our local business. Now I will have the time I need to dedicate to the development of Mediabrands here in Australia," said Tajer.

Source:
Campaign Asia

Related Articles

Just Published

8 hours ago

40 Under 40 2024: Hajar Yusof, Naga DDB Tribal

Hajar’s initiatives reflect her commitment to innovation, diversity, and leaving a lasting legacy in the industry.

8 hours ago

Moo Deng says hands off unless you’ve washed up

Lifebuoy’s new campaign introduces a fresh face in hand hygiene, pairing AI with playful reminders to help keep those paws—er, hands—clean.

9 hours ago

The CMO's MO: Hyatt's APAC marketer on the power of ...

"Focus means saying no to 100 good ideas and saying yes to the great ones." Hyatt’s Tammy Ng shares how lessons from Steve Jobs and James Dyson are guiding her approach to personalising guest experiences.

9 hours ago

Trump’s victory isn’t just America’s crisis—it’s a ...

Make no mistake—2024’s US election was a calculated exercise in marketing from beginning to end, revealing a striking alignment with the very principles that drive our industry.