Atomic 212 expands Brisbane presence following Entain win

Atomic 212 has added eight new staff to its Brisbane office, including the appointment of a group account director and a planning and trade director.

The appointments come after the media agencywon Entain Australia accountfrom incumbent Essence (now EssenceMediacom) duringone of the largest pitches of 2022．合并account includes media for Entain’s betting brands Ladbrokes and Neds.

The new hires lift the number of Atomic 212° staff in Brisbane to 14. The Brisbane agency, which wasset up less than a year ago, with the foundation client of Price Attack．

Atomic 212° national managing director, Rory Heffernan, said: “In just 10 months, Atomic 212° has become a force to be reckoned with in the Queensland market, with a great line-up of clients and an incredible team. Our rapid growth in Queensland is testament to the strength of our business model and the very talented people we work with.”

Heffman, who was the agency’s first hire, was appointed into the MD roleearlier this month, followinga year acting in the position．Heffman’s appointment came as Atomic 212 also announcednew national CEO Claire Fenner, who was elevated to the role after returning from maternity leave. Previously,she was group managing director．

Kelly Burnham joins Atomic 212° as group account director, leading the Entain team. Kelly has 13 years’ experience, including leading the Bega client portfolio at Starcom. Other past clients include Suncorp, the Liberal Party of Australia, Michael Hill Jewellers, Super Retail Group and Metricon.

Burnham said: “I’m thrilled to embark on my new journey at Atomic 212°, working with Entain, which is one of the most exciting and dynamic clients in the market. It’s fantastic to collaborate with the talented team at Atomic 212° and I look forward to making a real difference in driving the growth and success of Entain.”

Ben O’Grady joins Atomic 212° as planning and trading director. He has 10 years’ experience in marketing and media, including roles as corporate marketing officer at QUT and planner at Starcom.

O’Grady said: “I’m very excited about the shift back to agency side after four years away. It is an absolute privilege to have joined this vibrant and welcoming independent agency in the Brisbane market and I’m excited to contribute to Atomic 212°s smarter, faster, accountable proposition on the Entain account.”

Stephanie Wynne joins as planning and trading manager after working at Media Merchants and Southern Cross Austereo, while Jazlyn McMillan has joined from Network 10 as planning and trading executive.

Other hires include Bryn Bradford as senior partnerships manager and Ainsley Johnston as senior partnerships executive. Both have joined from the media agency Essence. The agency has also added two planning and trading assistants: Michael Giacco (ex-MyGov and the Department of Defence) and Hayden Edwards (ex-Department of Defence).

The new staff appointments in Brisbane follow a series of recent client wins for the agency nationally, includingCraveable Brands, Salesforce, Zambrero,起源, Sydney Water,Freedom KitchensandAware Super．