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DDB Group Melbourne CEO, Mike Napolitano, today announced that the agency’s Head of Planning Matt Pearce, has been elevated to chief strategy officer across the group’s brands in Melbourne.

Matt joined DDB Melbourne in 2021, leading strategy across the DDB, Mango and Tribal teams. Drawing on his background of creating legendary campaigns at the height of Clemenger BBDO’s success, such as ‘Meet Graham’ and ‘Hungerithm’, as well as his experience in research having founded fifty5five in Melbourne, Pearce has brought DDB a unique blend of understanding behaviour, insight and the world’s most impactful creative strategy.

Matt built the DDB Group Melbourne strategy department and instilled the philosophy of ‘strategy as an outdoor sport’, getting the entire strategy team into people’s homes and out in the field to uncover the insights that has led to DDB’s most impactful work, such as Coles’ ‘Great Lengths’ and Movember’s ‘The Mo is Calling’.

Matt's involvement had led to client wins including Asahi CUB, Acciona, Movember, Mr Chen’s, Dabble, Funlabs, Agrifutures, Made by Dyslexia, and Our Watch.

Matt was also integral in the creation of Smith St. - DDB and OMD’s best-of-Omnicom, bespoke Coles agency - while also building its strategic capability across brand and marketing strategy, media, digital and CX.

His promotion follows DDB Group Melbourne’s continued growth and role in driving global DDB initiatives, including global research product the ‘Feels Barometer’ developed in conjunction with research company TRA. 

His promotion allows for further strategic growth at DDB Group Melbourne, including an expansion of its behaviour change team and for-purpose offering.

Mike Napolitano, DDB Group Melbourne CEO, said, “Matt is a world class leader who has helped re-found DDB Group Melbourne. He’s a great strategic mind and with his leadership we’ll continue to help grow the fortunes of our clients and their brands. Internally I could not ask for a better partner, and I know the rest of our leadership group and broader team value Matt’s unwavering contribution to not just our collective team success but also the individual focus he gives everyone that is in his orbit. Hands down Pearcey is the best creatively strategic mind I’ve ever worked with.”

Psembi Kinstan, Matt's creative partner and chief creative officer of DDB Melbourne Group, said of the promotion, “There’s not one strategist in the business that’s sharper than Matt. He is entirely unique in his ability to distill the complex and simplify client problems and opportunities. In a sea of strategy jargon and bullshit, Matt is a weapon, loved by clients and creatives in equal measure.”

Commenting on his new role, Matt said, “We’ve built something great at DDB Melbourne, with a truly unique approach to insight-led creative strategy, and I can’t wait to keep up the momentum.”

His promotion is effective immediately.