UM Australia has 90 employees and is one of Australia’s five largest media companies. With annual billings in excess of $800m, they produce consistently excellent work for companies including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Sony, and Lego. They were recently recognised by BRW as the best place to work in Australia. They’ve also been named Media Agency of the Year and Global Media Agency of the Year for three years running by B&T and Mumbrella. They have a people-centric approach to business, which is evident in one of their slogans: “Agencies don’t win pitches, people do.”
Mat Baxter is a highly accomplished CEO in the media industry who is an expert in developing leadership capability and organisational culture that achieves amazing business results. Along with the above awards, Mat has also been awarded the Agency Head of the Year by Campaign magazine. After nearly five years as CEO of UM Australia, Mat has recently moved to New York to take up his promotion as the Global Chief Strategy and Creative Officer of parent company IPG Mediabrands, which is a member of The Interpublic Group of Companies that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
“You need a real clear vision, and you need to articulate it as simply as possible. That unifying thought needs to be much bigger than ‘We’re in business to make money’. Millennials are increasingly selecting companies based on how they contribute to the greater good and how engaged that company is in its community. If you want to address these millennials, you have to be able to articulate your vision in inspiring and exciting ways that show the organisation cares about more than just making profit.” – Mat Baxter, UM Australia
Claire Harrison is the Founder and Managing Director of Harrisons, a flourishing HR consulting business that sprouted in 2009 from Claire’s passionate belief that inspiring leaders and superstar employees are the key success factor to any business. With over 20 years’ experience, Claire has worked as a HR Director of multi-national organisations, as a Non-Executive Board Director, and a small business owner. Claire’s corporate career includes working with companies such as BHP, Westpac, Fonterra and Mayne Nickless.
