After 20 years at the helm PHD NZ CEO Louise Bond set to transition into chairperson role

PHD has announced that in November, Louise Bond will transition into the role of chairperson for PHD New Zealand. After almost 20 years at the helm, Bond (left) has decided to move into a governance and strategic counsel role. The agency will be working through the process of selecting a new CEO over the coming months with Bond’s guidance.

Says Bond: “Choosing to spend more time with my teenagers before they fly the nest is absolutely the right decision for me for now. However, it goes without saying that moving on from the CEO function was not a decision I reached easily.  Spark, our agency name before we joined the PHD network, was the media independent I launched with business partners in 1999.  I had my two sons in the early years, but the agency was my first creation and I remain hugely proud of where it has come today.”

Says Mike Cooper, CEO, PHD Worldwide, who was integral to the network’s acquisition of Spark in 2007: “Louise has been an outstanding leader of one of PHD’s most successful agencies in the network, consistently delivering business success for over two decades.  She has also overseen the most incredible record of award wins, including Gold Cannes Lions and multiple Agency of the Year titles.  We are grateful for her significant contribution to the network and we wish her all the best for the future.”

Omnicom Media Group ANZ CEO, Peter Horgan, will lead the appointment of a new CEO, with the support of Bond.

Says Horgan: “With the continued involvement of Louise in the business, we have the advantage of time in finalising an appointment of a proven leader who embodies the PHD values, is a great cultural fit and who can build on the agency’s unique strategy-first approach and thought-leadership positioning. 

“In the face of change, PHD also has the advantage of having the most stable and experienced leadership team in the New Zealand market.

“In addition to Louise, the PHD leadership team comprises Nikki Grafton, Lee-Ann Morris, Dallas Gurney, Simon Bird, Christophe Spencer, Penny Harvie and Scott Keddie (OMG NZ).  This team has over 160 combined years of industry experience, with more than 90 of those as part of PHD Group.” 

From November, timed with Bond’s reduced hours, Grafton will assume an acting CEO role, supported by Morris (PHD), Gurney (Spark PR & Activate) and the rest of the senior leadership team.  Grafton was formerly PHD’s managing director and has spent 12 years in a senior leadership position at PHD.

Among its many recent successes, PHD was named 2018 Media Agency of the Year at the local Beacons industry awards, with Bond also winning a Campaign Asia 2018 Women Leading Change award.