GroupM names Melissa Hey as CIO for Australia and NZ – stoppress.co.nz

GroupM has announced Melissa Hey as Chief Investment Officer in Australia & New Zealand, replacing Seb Rennie.

She will oversee Investment & Partnerships, leading GroupM’s Responsible Investment Framework and working closely with the EssenceMediacom, Wavemaker and Mindshare Investment teams to deliver media innovations and value to clients.

“I’ve absolutely loved my time at OMD, but the opportunity to take on a new challenge and step into a group role and lead investment strategy for one of the largest media agency networks in the country was unmissable. I’m excited to join the team at GroupM and looking forward to being part of the global vision to make advertising better for people. I’d like to thank everyone at OMD for being an amazing team to work with over the past 12 years. They are a talented team and I have no doubt they will continue to see great success,” she says.

With more than 25 years’ experience working across major categories including retail, government, FMCG, automotive, consumer electronics, QSR and finance, and experience managing the largest agency investment portfolio in Australia, Hey is a leading investment expert and highly regarded across the industry. 

She has spent 12 years at OMD, leading investment strategy and value management for the agency’s portfolio of blue-chip Australian and global brands. Prior to that she held investment roles at Publicis Groupe and Dentsu.

In 2022, she was announced in Media Week’s inaugural Agency 50 Power List in recognition of her accomplishments and broad influence in the industry.

GroupM Australia & New Zealand CEO Aimee Buchanan says: “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Melissa in past roles, and I know she will be a fantastic addition to our team and will bring immense value to our agencies and clients. We are thrilled to bring her expertise, gravitas and capability into the business to lead our Responsible Investment approach and help us shape the next era of media.  She is passionate about the evolution of investment and GroupM’s vision of making advertising work better for people and will continue to evolve how we use our scale for good.”

Hey will join GroupM in May as part of the executive committee. She will report to GroupM CEO Aimee Buchanan.