Ogilvy has appointed Kirsty Muddle as CEO for Australia and New Zealand, succeeding Sally Kissane. Muddle joins from Dentsu, where she led Practices & Products across ANZ. With over 25 years’ experience, she’s known for fostering innovation, creative collaboration, and business growth, marking a new leadership chapter for Ogilvy.
Ogilvy has announced the appointment of Kirsty Muddle as Chief Executive Officer for Australia and New Zealand, marking a new era of leadership for the global creative network in the region. Muddle succeeds Sally Kissane, who stepped down earlier this year after an illustrious 30-year tenure with the company.
In her new role, Muddle will oversee Ogilvy’s operations across Australia and New Zealand, spanning advertising, PR, social and influencer marketing, customer engagement, consulting, and health. Her appointment underscores Ogilvy’s commitment to integrating creativity, technology, and data to deliver comprehensive solutions for brands in an evolving media landscape.
Muddle joins Ogilvy from Dentsu, where she served as CEO of Practices & Products for Australia and New Zealand. At Dentsu, she led an extensive portfolio that included creative, PR, government, customer experience, Salesforce, insight, data and technology, commerce, and B2B marketing and media. Her leadership there was instrumental in aligning multidisciplinary teams and driving client growth through innovation and collaboration.
Known for her dynamic leadership style and deep understanding of both creative and commercial imperatives, Muddle brings over 25 years of diverse experience to Ogilvy. She has built businesses from the ground up and led large, established organisations, earning a reputation for championing innovation and nurturing creative talent.
A familiar name in the industry, Muddle has consistently been featured in B&T’s Women in Media Power List for her influence and contributions to the communications landscape. Her track record of fostering forward-thinking approaches has made her a respected voice in the Australian marketing and advertising community.
Her arrival follows the departure of Sally Kissane, a stalwart who spent nearly three decades at Ogilvy, holding leadership roles across multiple business units and leaving behind a legacy of creative excellence and business success. Kissane’s departure in July marked the end of an era, and Muddle’s appointment now signals a fresh chapter aimed at steering Ogilvy toward future growth and transformation.
Under Muddle’s leadership, Ogilvy Australia and New Zealand is expected to strengthen its integrated service offerings, blending creativity with data-driven insights and technology. Industry observers note that her deep experience in orchestrating multidisciplinary teams positions her well to drive the agency’s next phase of growth.
In a statement shared by Ogilvy, the company highlighted Muddle’s “proven ability to create meaningful client relationships and foster connected creative cultures” as central to her new mandate. The agency’s focus will continue to be on helping brands “make life matter” — Ogilvy’s guiding philosophy that connects creativity with human impact.
For Muddle, the appointment represents both a return to her creative roots and an opportunity to redefine what integrated communications mean in an era shaped by digital transformation, AI, and shifting consumer expectations. “Ogilvy’s heritage and impact in this region are incredible,” she has said in past interviews, emphasizing her belief in creativity as a driver of both business and cultural relevance.
Her leadership is expected to bring renewed energy to Ogilvy’s teams across Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, and Wellington, as the agency continues to evolve in a highly competitive market where clients increasingly seek holistic solutions that unite storytelling, strategy, and technology.
As Ogilvy Australia and New Zealand embark on this next chapter under Muddle’s direction, the industry will be watching closely to see how one of the region’s most respected creative leaders reshapes the agency’s vision for the future — blending Ogilvy’s storied legacy with modern, data-powered innovation.
