NEED A HAND? ASK B&T’S BEST OF THE BEST INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS!
B&T Exclusive | Published on: 17th July 2024
Where would our industry be without the expert consultants who dedicate their energy and passion to staying ahead of its ever-evolving landscape? They offer their time, intuition and deep understanding of local and global media dynamics, mentor the up-and-comers and offer guidance required to refine even our most ambitious efforts and turn them into successful executions.
Ultimately, they help us achieve the highest aspirations. That is why these multi-talented and visionary thinkers deserve our utmost recognition. Please note that this list is just independent consultants; keep an eye out for our corporate consultants – PWC, Think, PWC, Deloitte et al – coming soon!
Where would our industry be without the expert consultants who dedicate their energy and passion to staying ahead of its ever-evolving landscape? They offer their time, intuition and deep understanding of local and global media dynamics, mentor the up-and-comers and offer guidance required to refine even our most ambitious efforts and turn them into successful executions.
Ultimately, they help us achieve the highest aspirations. That is why these multi-talented and visionary thinkers deserve our utmost recognition. Please note that this list is just independent consultants; keep an eye out for our corporate consultants – PWC, Think, PWC, Deloitte et al – coming soon!
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B&T’s Best of the Best series heralds the people at the top of their game in whatever section of adland they find themselves in. Last week, we looked at the best Developers, and, before that, Creative Strategists and Mentors.
In the coming weeks, we’ll reveal the Best of the Best Media Agency Commercial Directors, Creative Agency Commercial Directors and Film Directors.
If you know anyone who should be in the top 10, email editorial@themisfits.media and let us know.
But now… the moment you’ve all been waiting for… here are B&T’s Top 10 Best of the Best industry consultants. Please note that this list is just independent consultants; keep an eye out for our Corporate Consultants – PWC, Think, PWC, Deloitte, et al.- coming soon!
10. Clive Burcham, founder, Compadres
Clive Burcham’s career is marked by entrepreneurial achievements and impactful consulting endeavours. Starting from his roots in Western Australia’s farming community, Burcham demonstrated early entrepreneurial flair and by 16, he was already producing television shows for a major network. His career trajectory soared when, at 25, he launched Australia’s groundbreaking Comedy Channel as its creative director, setting new standards in media innovation and revenue generation. Achieving international acclaim with 30 awards by the time he was 30 years old, including prestigious honours from the New York Festivals, Burcham’s entrepreneurial spirit drove him to found and co-found multiple successful ventures across diverse sectors.
Transitioning from media to strategic consulting, Burcham’s influence expanded as he advised and guided CEOs through pivotal roles in organisations such as the Young Presidents Organisation (YPO). His consultancy ventures have been characterised by innovative thinking and transformative impact, notably pioneering the “Digital Acceleration Team” hub model for Nestlé, which reshaped global business strategies across 29 countries. Alongside his consulting career, Burcham remains deeply committed to philanthropic causes, notably co-founding Global Citizen and spearheading initiatives to combat violence against children in partnership with UNICEF.
Today, through Compadres, his consultancy launched in 2022, Burcham continues to empower CEOs and founders worldwide, helping them reimagine and rejuvenate their personal and business trajectories with visionary guidance and strategic insight.
9. Mark Leone, partner, Madclarity
Leone brings 20 years of experience from top media consultancies across the Asia Pacific. At Faulkner Media Management (FMM), he served as head of client service, built the New Zealand operation from the ground up and established the first independent media consultancy in Southeast Asia.
Over the past seven years, working alongside Eric Faulkner, Leone has grown Madclarity from scratch into one of the fastest-growing and most respected media consultancies in the country. As managing director, he leads the company’s Coaching, Consultancy, Agency Review, Benchmarking, and KPI Evaluation services. Recently, Leone has led pitches for the Dairy Farmers Group creative account and Spotlight Retail Group’s media account.
Leone’s career has been rooted in consulting. He began at Faulkner Media Management as a graduate and remained with the company through its acquisition by Ebiquity. After leaving Ebiquity, he co-founded Madclarity with Eric Faulkner. Initially focused on benchmarking, Leone is now recognised as a consulting, coaching, pitch management, and training leader.
Madclarity’s clients include Allianz, Bega, McDonald’s, Arnott’s Group, Nestle, Sanofi, Pepsico, Woolworths, and Vodafone. Leone has also worked with Telstra, J&J, and CBA, gaining extensive experience across various categories and clients in Australia and the APAC region.
8. Julia Vargiu, director, Australia, SI Partners Global
Vargiu is a seasoned consultant, having founded consultancy New Business Methodology and is the Australian director of SI Partners.
With over two decades of experience, Vargiu has become a trusted advisor to agency CEOs around the world, guiding them and their leadership teams in securing business growth strategies that bypass traditional pitching methods. Her expertise stems from a deep understanding of global industry trends and data, enabling her to facilitate rapid and sustainable profitability for agencies under her guidance.
As an internationally recognised speaker and mentor, Vargiu is renowned for her insights into new business best practices and for maintaining robust client pipelines. She developed the New Business Master for Agencies, a comprehensive framework that enhances agencies’ commercial readiness and competitive edge in securing new business opportunities. Vargiu’s impact extends beyond agencies; she also created Stakeholder Mastery for Marketers, empowering marketing teams to influence stakeholder motivations effectively.
7. Robert Brittain, independent marketing consultant, Robert Brittain Consulting
Robert Brittain is a distinguished independent marketing consultant and strategic advisor specialising in enhancing enterprise-wide marketing effectiveness capabilities.
With a strong focus on delivering actionable insights, Brittain collaborates closely with chief marketing officers to optimise marketing strategies that drive business growth. His expertise is widely recognised, underscored by his role as co-author alongside Peter Field of the acclaimed “Advertising Effectiveness Rules” series, based on insights from the ACA Effectiveness Database. These reports, such as “Winning or Losing in a Recession” and “Attention and Effectiveness”, have become pivotal resources in the marketing industry.
Before becoming a consultant, Brittain accrued over two decades of experience in client-side commercial roles. He led Marketing Effectiveness at ANZ Bank Banking Group and oversaw Marketing Analytics for Mondelez International across the Asia-Pacific region. His comprehensive background equips him with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing global brands, enabling him to offer strategic guidance that aligns marketing efforts with overarching business objectives. Brittain’s contributions extend beyond consultancy, as he continues to shape industry discourse through speaking engagements and publications to advance marketing effectiveness practices worldwide. He also served on the Advisory Committee for the inaugural Cairns Crocodiles Awards.
6. Chris Savage, business growth specialist, The Savage Company
Chris Savage is widely recognised in the industry as a visionary and authority on growth, with a track record of achievements across the APAC region. His expertise spans business growth, reputation management, marketing, and brand communications, and he is renowned for his inspirational leadership, which drives differentiation and momentum for businesses and individuals alike.
Savage’s entrepreneurial journey includes founding Savage & Horrigan, a prominent financial PR firm, and contributing significantly to the expansion of Ogilvy PR into one of Australia’s foremost and most profitable PR groups.
In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Savage plays a pivotal role as a board director and chairman, overseeing a diverse portfolio of businesses. These enterprises specialise in various sectors, including digital communications, design, and branding, underscoring his strategic oversight and influence in shaping successful business strategies across different verticals. He also placed fifth on our list of the Best of the Best industry mentors.
5. Graham Webster, CEO, Enth Degree Pty Ltd
Webster has dedicated his entire professional journey to the Australian advertising industry, collaborating with esteemed clients such as Colgate Palmolive, Kimberley Clarke, and David Jones. Over his more than 30 year career, he has cultivated an extensive understanding of the operational frameworks and fee structures utilised by advertising service providers.
Before founding Enth Degree, Webster served as a partner at Customedia, an independent media strategy firm. His career highlights include pivotal roles as national media director at prominent advertising agencies such as Young and Rubicam and Lintas and partnerships in media buying enterprises.
At Enth Degree, Webster specialises in optimising media service delivery, regularly analysing media costs and service quality for some of Australia’s largest advertisers. His deep-rooted industry knowledge enables him to effectively navigate agency cost structures and service models, identifying opportunities for cost efficiencies and enhanced value for marketers.
4. Darren Woolley, founder and global CEO, Trinity P3
Woolley’s career is a testament to his diverse expertise as an analytical scientist, creative problem-solver, and Certified Practising Marketer, uniquely enriching the marketing field. Regarded as a thought leader in marketing management, Woolley is a frequent industry commentator across global trade and business media, a sought-after keynote speaker, and the host of the Managing Marketing podcast since 2015. His influence extends through over 1,000 published posts on the TrinityP3 blog and the annual publication of “Top 50 Marketing Management Posts of the Year” from 2013 to 2019.
Woolley’s professional journey began as a scientist at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital Neuropathology Laboratory, delving into research on myopathies, neuropathies, and other medical conditions. He later ventured into entrepreneurship, founding the chemical recycling company Resolve before transitioning into advertising in the mid-1980s. Over 15 years in the industry, Woolley excelled as a writer and creative director, shaping brand strategies for global and local brands. He served as creative director at J Walter Thompson and president of the Melbourne Art Directors’ Club.
In 2000, Woolley founded TrinityP3, a leading strategic marketing management consultancy in Asia Pacific, renowned for its international network and expertise in optimising marketing and advertising investments. Under his leadership, TrinityP3 advises over 50 of the world’s top 100 advertisers, with offices spanning Singapore, Sydney, London, New York and Zurich. Woolley’s contributions to the marketing profession were further recognised when he was elected to the board of the Australian Marketing Institute in 2014, serving as Chair from 2015 to 2016.
3. Sangeeta Leach, founding director; William Leach, owner, The Leach Partnership
Sangeeta and William Leach bring a wealth of global business experience and strategic acumen to their consultancy, The Leach Partnership. With over two decades in creative and idea-driven industries, William has navigated diverse business challenges. This led him to become the youngest managing director in Saatchi & Saatchi’s global network and subsequently establish a track record of successful company leadership worldwide. His expertise lies in idea-based business solutions, change management, and leveraging diversity, honed through leadership roles in five countries across three continents.
Sangeeta complements this with 15 years of strategic business experience cultivated in markets spanning Kenya to England. With an MBA in marketing and a background that includes Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), JWT, and Saatchi & Saatchi, she specialises in change management and strategic marketing, particularly in high-profile government projects. Her intuitive planning skills and passion for purposeful creativity enrich The Leach Partnership’s approach to business strategy.
Together, Sangeeta and William drive The Leach Partnership, offering a comprehensive suite of services that encompass business strategy, planning, and creative solutions. Their consultancy combines hands-on management expertise with innovative programs like “unstuck sessions,” designed to empower agencies to achieve breakthrough moments and strategic clarity.
2. Jeff Estok, managing partner; Cam Carter, founding partner, Navigare
Carter founded Navigare in 1996 and brings a distinguished advertising and marketing communications career to the partnership. Before launching Navigare, Carter held pivotal roles as managing director of Grey Advertising and managing director of Leo Burnett across Australia and New Zealand. His entrepreneurial journey includes founding and leading his own advertising agency, underscoring his deep industry knowledge and leadership acumen.
Estok, meanwhile, joined Navigare as a Partner in 2009, contributing a wealth of senior management experience across diverse business disciplines. His career highlights encompass roles such as managing director at Clemenger BBDO, board director at Clemenger Australia, CEO of Axis Media Group, and COO of the Issues and Images Group. Estok’s expertise spans advertising, marketing communications, media, and management consulting, positioning him as a strategic leader within the consultancy.
Together, Carter and Estok drive Navigare forward as industry pioneers in client-agency engagement. They are committed to enhancing client performance through innovative solutions that drive structural and behavioural changes. Their consultancy is characterised by independence, impartiality and integrity, ensuring decades of excellence in aligning, assuring, and advising clients across the advertising and marketing landscape.
1. Jen Davidson, managing partner, Tumbleturn Media
Davidson is a highly accomplished marketing professional with a career spanning over thirty years. She is distinguished by her expertise across diverse sectors, including client management, agency operations, and media publishing. Her journey began with a significant tenure at the McCann, where she spent a decade excelling in senior roles in Sydney and San Francisco. During this time, Davidson managed high-profile accounts such as Microsoft and Coca-Cola South Pacific, honing her skills in strategic client relationship management and campaign execution.
Transitioning to the corporate side, Davidson brought her extensive agency experience to CommBank, where she served nine years as the general manager of media, digital, social, and PR. In this role, she led transformative initiatives that integrated media strategies with digital innovations, driving the bank’s communications and public relations efforts to new heights of effectiveness and visibility.
For seven years, Davidson has been a managing partner at Tumbleturn Media. In this role, she applies her deep-rooted knowledge to guide clients through the complexities of modern media landscapes, offering strategic counsel and innovative solutions tailored to meet evolving market challenges. Davidson’s reputation as a media maestro and respected authority in marketing consultancy is built upon a foundation of hands-on experience and a steadfast commitment to delivering exceptional results for her clients.
And that’s why she’s B&T’s Best of the Best Independent Consultants!
