Karen Coleman has been appointed as Country Manager for Australia at VaynerMedia Asia Pacific, the world’s largest independent, integrated creative and media agency, founded by Gary Vaynerchuk. In this role, Coleman will be responsible for driving the agency’s growth and expanding its client portfolio in Australia. She will focus on enhancing VaynerMedia’s signature “social-at-the-centre” approach, ensuring that brands in the market gain increased visibility and achieve measurable returns on investment through innovative social media strategies.
“I’m proud to welcome Karen as our new Country Manager in Australia. She brings a remarkable energy and passion for the future of our industry, as well as a powerful combination of experience and curiosity,” said Tim Lindley, Managing Director APAC.
“She’s full of new ideas to meet the needs of modern consumers and has a sharp commercial mind that will deliver business impact for our clients. She has a keen eye for talent, and her commitment to nurturing younger generations is truly inspiring. I have no doubt that under her leadership, VaynerMedia Australia will continue to thrive and grow.”
The agency added that over the past three years, VaynerMedia Australia has achieved stellar growth, earning a strong reputation for delivering consumer-first, social-at-the-centre solutions to renowned brands like PepsiCo ANZ, SharkNinja, Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), and Dabble. The agency’s momentum has been remarkable, with increasing demand for VaynerMedia’s expertise in today’s fast-paced, culture-driven landscape.
“With Karen stepping into the role of Country Manager with over 20 years of expertise across B2B and B2C sectors in tech, FMCG, and e-commerce, the agency is well-positioned to capitalise on this momentum. Her leadership will build on a strong foundation, further driving VaynerMedia’s unique approach in the ANZ region to the next level of success,” the agency said in a release.
Before joining VaynerMedia, Coleman was the Managing Director at 303 MullenLowe, where she led Australian operations and diversified the agency’s services.
“Having worked in PR, social and advertising agencies, I was really drawn to VaynerMedia’s social-at-the-centre thinking, as it’s very much my heritage in PR and Comms –– audience-first thinking, fast-moving, and always on the pulse of culture,” said Coleman.
The teams consist of consumer-centric storytellers and modern media teams that work collaboratively to evolve communication and media strategies based on real-time in-market signals and performance. The Australian team has already achieved huge success in the past three years, and I couldn’t be joining at a better time. I look forward to leading the agency through its next phase of growth.”
She also spent over 17 years at the Next15 Group, where she held Managing Director roles at global agencies like Bite Communications, Text100, and most recently, Archetype. There, Karen played a pivotal role in transforming the agency from a pure-play PR consultancy into an award-winning strategic and integrated marketing operation, working with major brands such as Airbnb, Beats by Dre, Amazon, and Adobe.
Colman will report to Tim Lindley, succeeding Amy Bradshaw as Country Manager for Australia and assuming her role with immediate effect.
