Digitas Australia Hires “Super High Impact Player” Kate Warren-Smith as National MD

Digitas Australia has appointed Kate Warren-Smith to the newly-created role of managing director to supercharge the Publicis business’ growth.

Formerly VML Commerce’s managing director, Kate will be based in Melbourne and start tomorrow as Digitas and Balance CEO Davy Rennie’s second in command.

Speaking exclusively to LBB, Davy called Kate a “super high impact player” with “passion and drive and energy” who will “pull together CX, CRM, and commerce.” Previously, those three streams operated separately, but Kate “doesn’t know that world.”

“I needed a 2IC who was able to take the business forward, challenge the vision, or build on the vision, and then create a connected culture with the rest of the Publicis leadership in Melbourne,” Davy said.

“Kate's a big collaborator, and that was one of the big things that we spoke about. And I think that's going to really not just benefit Digitas, but benefit Publicis as well.”

Kate added Digitas is “leading the move from fragmented marketing to unified, connected experiences. What sets us apart is our ability to deliver creative, intelligence, marketing operations, commerce and media, all under one roof to drive impact for clients.”

Kate was previously at WPP for 13 years, a journey that began when she sold Safari Marketing, the business she co-founded, to Ogilvy in 2012. That business became Geometry -- the result of a merger between G2, OgilvyAction, and JWTAction -- then VML Commerce. 

She told LBB she’d lived through three mergers, and “we'd come to the end of our ground where my vision was aligned to what was next.” She wanted to find a “home where someone will want to drive as hard with the creative as the technology” and rediscover “a bit of a fire in the belly again”. As she starts in a new business and different holding company, Kate said it is critical she remains “people-first and customer-obsessed” and focuses on establishing “shared growth metrics”.

“Having come from a situation that was a merger and acquired businesses, it's really, really important to have open ears and remember why the success of the other business existed, and take learnings from that, but, equally, ensure people are curious and really interested about the growth of what we can look like moving forward. So there's going to be a lot of listening. There's going to be a lot of making sure that people have [a] shared ambition for our vision.”

She wasn’t looking for a job when she met with Davy for a 45 minute coffee that became a two hour discussion about the importance of impact and accountability, and the “untapped” power of creativity across CRM, CX, and commerce.

“It's the power of creativity, beyond ideas, that can really propel us,” Kate said. “Creative is going to be the glue” between each step of Digitas’ process, and how it extends and builds upon the work of clients’ other agency partners. An idea has to live across the entire customer experience, she added. 

Since starting in the role early last year, Davy has structured the business into five service lines -- creative, intelligence, commerce, technology, and integrated media -- and made key appointments including head of strategy and customer experience Sarah Heitkamp, as revealed by LBB; chief client partner Millie Menage; and head of intelligence Elise Morris. 

It was critical the next leadership hire was based in Melbourne, Davy said. Client partner Dan Beer has also moved from Sydney to Melbourne to “really spark that scale and market impact”. 

Kate said she will ensure there is “healthy competition” between Sydney and Melbourne; the markets need a “united vision” but nuanced cultures. Davy agreed, “They have completely different heartbeats. They have completely different ways of navigating the business world. You have to know the Melbourne market to succeed in the Melbourne market.” 

Davy and Kate share a “burning ambition to always grow and to always do more for our partners,” he explained. 

“Kate’s ability to deliver creative and commercial impact across a wide range of partners and categories was as evident as her track record for building and maintaining amazing cultures. 

“Her vision for being a strategic partner, creating fully integrated brand experiences for our clients across Australia, aligns perfectly with our vision for people, process, and product growth.”