M+C Saatchi appoints Sophie Gallagher as group strategy director

M+C Saatchi has appointed Sophie Gallagher as group strategy director, adding senior strategy firepower as agencies double down on integrated planning.

Gallagher joins from Clemenger BBDO, bringing more than a decade of experience spanning journalism, publishing, in-house and full-service agency roles.

Her portfolio includes work across Samsung, Compare Club, Universal, Sony, Audi, LVMH, The University of Sydney and Ingham’s. Her campaigns have been recognised at Cannes Lions, Effies, Spikes, AWARD, AGDA and the MFA Awards.

In the newly created role, Gallagher will lead M+C Saatchi’s connections strategy offer, focusing on aligning media and creative to deliver stronger audience impact and commercial outcomes.

“I am thrilled to be joining M+C Saatchi, an iconic agency that has continually shaped how Australian brands have influenced people’s lives,” Gallagher said.

“This is a pivotal time in our industry, where media and creative must work hand in hand to drive impact and influence.”

Simon Wassef, group chief strategy officer at M+C Saatchi, said Gallagher brings a rare mix of ambition and pragmatism.

“Sophie’s a gun — the best connections strategist in the market,” Wassef said. “She has the rare gift of being able to combine big strategy optimism with real strategy pragmatism. Her ideas are exciting and they work bloody hard.”

Beyond client work, Gallagher leads Assisterhood NSW, a mentorship initiative supporting underrepresented communications professionals. The program expanded mentor participation by 42% year-on-year under her leadership.