Digitas Australia names Kate Warren-Smith managing director

Digitas Australia is strengthening its national leadership team with the appointment of Kate Warren-Smith to the newly created role of managing director.

Based in Melbourne, Warren-Smith will lead the agency’s connected-experience agenda, uniting CX, commerce and CRM capabilities while building on Digitas’ culture of collaboration and creativity.

She brings more than 20 years of experience in brand activation, shopper and commerce marketing, including 13 years with WPP.

Warren-Smith co-founded Safari Marketing in 2009 with Sean Taylor and Ewan Thornton, growing it from a three-person startup into a multi-office agency before its acquisition by Ogilvy Action Australia in 2012.

“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,” Davy Rennie, CEO of Digitas Australia, said.

“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.”

“It’s exciting to join Digitas Australia at a time when we are leading the move from fragmented marketing to unified, connected experiences,” said Warren-Smith. “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.”

She added that Digitas’ approach blends imagination with commercial strategy, “delivering brand moments that are not only seamless but also create meaningful impact throughout the customer journey.”

Digitas is Publicis Groupe’s full-service digital agency, combining expertise in strategy, creative, data, media and technology.