2021 NextGen Networking and Program Launch

Justin Graham

Group CEO, M&C Saatchi

Widely regarded as the best strategist in the market, Justin heads the integrated strategic offering at M&C Saatchi, a group that consists of over 20 strategists in the disciplines of Brand Strategy, Experience Strategy, Digital, CRM, Social/Content and Data.

He leads strategy across the 10 businesses that comprise the M&C Saatchi Group Australia.

The M&C Saatchi integrated strategy offering is now the largest and most diverse in Australia, driven by the power of commercial creativity.

Justin had previously held the role at Droga5 where he led the agency for over 3 years, serving on the Global Board and driving new business across the Asian region.

Prior to Droga5, he was the Global Planning Director/SVP at BBDO in New York where he led Proctor & Gamble and Diageo brands. In his time at BBDO, he picked up a number of global new business wins, Effies, numerous creative awards that led to being instrumental in the success of BBDO being the most awarded agency in the world.

Interestingly he started his career as a management consultant at Arthur Andersen, working on Telstra, Oracle and News Ltd.

In October 2013 the influential Boss Magazine anointed Justin one of its six Young Executives of the Year, the only ad industry representative in the exclusive group, with judges praising his “inspirational and effective leadership”. It is this ability to operate and be recognised outside of the advertising industry that has defined his success to date.

Outside of his day job Justin is also:

• Vice-Chairman of the Account Planning Group,
• An international Effies judge
• A judge on the global WARC Prize for Social Strategy
• A regular media pundit, writing across the Financial Review and numerous industry publications
• Lecturer for the IPA, Miami AdSchool and ADMA.

This year Justin served as the only Australian judge on the Creative Effectiveness Jury at Cannes.