Wunderman Thompson ANZ is starting the month with a change at the top, as CEO John Gutteridge is making way for Lee Leggett.

Leggett takes the lead with at least 20 years’ management experience to back her up. Her career includes consulting for Publicis and HAVAS, plus CEO/MD of Initiative, Dare, and Grand Union.

Gutteridge had been with Wunderman Thompson for over a decade, most of it as the CEO of precursor agency JWT.

“I’m now moving onto a new and very different opportunity, which I’m feeling really energised by, I look forward to sharing more details in due course. My time with WPP and Wunderman Thompson has been a very positive experience, providing the chance to work with some really talented and inspiring people from around the world, I look forward to watching their continued success,” said Gutteridge.

Melbourne agency BENCH PR has signed up two new senior consultants and an APAC regional client.

The senior consultants are Melissa Mack and Min Chow. Mack had previously exited FinTech Australia as co-chair of its Open Banking Policy Working Group. She is also a former senior director at M&C Partners and has a background in finance journalism. Min spent the past few months on freelance consulting after finishing up three years as Weber Shandwick Australia’s SVP. 

Min and Mack’s hiring came as BENCH was granted representation of global software developer GitLab in the ANZ region and Singapore. The deal will now involve positioning GitLab’s solutions for the Australian market through influencer representation and content marketing. 

“The demand for faster software development is universal but so many companies are struggling to manage the complexity and costs of using different software tools and processes, not to mention the silos between develop

The Daylight Agency has kicked off the week with new clients on its rolls.

Mumbrella reported that facial-recognition platform Verify Faces, disinfection system Airande, and accounting firm Bishop Collins have come aboard on the client list, along with a previous client, prescription lens maker Essilor. Verify Faces and Airande, in particular, are preparing for an overseas launch.

Daylight’s various services will be angled towards certain elements needed for the accounts. 

The agency itself will provide strategic planning, brand management, media relations, and corporate communications support. Government relations and issues management for the accounts will be the realm of Daylight’s First Light reputation management consultancy.

“We are extremely pleased to welcome new brands to our stable and to add additional work for past clients which will utilise both our consumer and corporate expertise. All of these organisations are leaders in their respective field

Stacy Piggott has established a new Melbourne PR/marketing agency for entertainment clients, called the Daydream Nation.

Named after an iconic Sonic Youth album, Daydream Nation is being aligned for digital strategy, crisis management, brand integration, personal profilers, and running small or large-scale events. 

Piggott established the agency after her last employer, Secret Sounds, closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She had been director since the company absorbed another agency she founded, Two Fish Out of Water, in 2014. 

Some former Secret Sounds staff have also joined Piggott in the new company. Alycia Emmerson is in as the head of marketing. Shari Hindmarsh works as senior publicist, while Parisse Toledo joins as publicist.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer a team that can roll out comprehensive and cohesive PR and Marketing campaigns under the one roof for our clients. Alycia, Shari and I have been working closely together on campaigns for years n

Adhesive PR has won the ANZ account for health company WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers. 

The new deal will involve earned communications strategy, media relations and influencer partnerships to educate people on WW’s product and service line. 

Relaunching in Australia back in 2018, WW evolved its offerings from weight reduction programs and products to food, movement, and building a mindset for a leaner, healthier lifestyle. 

“WW is a globally renowned brand with a loyal base of existing members. The problem is, younger generations generally aren’t aware of WW’s new offering and what the company now stands for; digitalisation, the app development and the broader move to encourage healthy habits, not purely weight loss. Our job will be to nurture the core audience while capturing the attention of a younger generation, challenge misperceptions, and educate them on why WW,” said Adhesive founder and director Mike Maurice.

NSW PR agency Mr Carter has marked five years with new clients, under a rebrand as MrC (pictured).

For the consumer goods practice, MrC will represent German eyewear company Mykita. Based in Berlin, Mykita offers custom glasses built with advanced eyewear manufacturing technology.

Sydney cosmetology practice The Manse is added to MrC’s beauty and wellness portfolio.

MrC is tapped by The Sydney Collective to run its events portfolio. That list includes rooftop bar Daniel-san, the Beachside Dojo, and the Imperial Erskineville.

The news comes as MrC also hired Simon Kirk, director of film and photography studio Two Plus One, as its new content director.

“As we recover from the catastrophic impact of COVID-19, restoring consumer confidence to again return to a fully-functional society will be key. Mr C has refined its speciality skill set and engaged leading experts in their respective fields, to grow our strategic offering and provide an unrivalled service to our partners

St Kilda integrated agency Mkt Communications has established a special workplace management agency, called the Ministry of Work.

The new company is being angled to help businesses reorganise their operations to handle the environment generated by the COVID-19 situation. 

Health Quotient CEO Jamie Lee, BRM Projects, research company Nature, and a number of workplace advisors have signed on as the Ministry of Work’s pioneer clients.

“We don’t need any more uncertainty and fear at work, movement depicts small, dynamic and constant steps toward something better. ‘Change’ has a bad name, ‘movement’ has much more energy and seems to resonate with the leaders and teams we have already been working with,” said Mkt Communications director and Ministry of Work co-founder Skye Tipler.

“It’s safe to say most people’s first response when asked why they go to work is to earn a living. The idea that work could also satisfy gr