OMNICOM OCEANIA APPOINTS DAVID GATT TO DRIVE AI-LED MARKETING TRANSFORMATION

Omnicom Oceania has named David Gatt as Managing Director, Marketing Operations & Ecosystem Design, a new role aimed at helping brands redesign marketing systems for an AI-driven era. The appointment reflects rising demand for integrated, scalable models that connect data, technology and agencies to deliver faster, accountable growth.

Omnicom Oceania has appointed David Gatt as Managing Director, Marketing Operations & Ecosystem Design, a newly created role designed to help brands reimagine how their marketing and customer ecosystems operate in an increasingly AI-driven landscape.

The move reflects a broader shift across the industry, as organisations rethink how agency capabilities, data infrastructure and technology platforms converge. Rather than relying on fragmented execution, clients are now seeking connected, scalable models that enable more efficient and accountable growth. Gatt’s remit is to guide brands through this transition, building integrated systems that align marketing more closely with enterprise-wide strategy.

This evolution marks a departure from siloed approaches towards fully integrated, end-to-end marketing ecosystems. As companies look to elevate marketing’s role within the business, there is growing emphasis on redesigning operating models, structures and systems to unlock the full potential of AI and automation.

Gatt, widely known in the industry as Gatty, joins from Deloitte, where he led large-scale marketing transformation programmes across sectors including telecommunications, retail and financial services. With more than 15 years of experience, he has built a reputation for bridging the gap between technology capability and commercial outcomes, with a particular focus on marketing automation and operating model design.

In his new role, Gatt will focus on harnessing the full breadth of Omnicom Group’s ecosystem, bringing together its OMNI platform, advisory services from Credera and The Loom, and wider agency, data and technology expertise into a unified, scalable offering for clients.

Nick Garrett, CEO of Omnicom Oceania, said the appointment reflects a clear shift in client priorities. He noted that most current conversations and new business opportunities are centred on operating models and the need for deeper marketing transformation, rather than execution alone. Garrett added that Gatt’s expertise and proven commercial impact make him uniquely suited to the role, describing him as one of the few professionals in the Australian market with such depth in this domain.

Gatt emphasised that while many brands are investing in AI, they are often using it to accelerate existing processes rather than rethink them. He said his focus would be on helping organisations question their current direction and design fundamentally better systems, leveraging Omnicom’s capabilities at scale.

Based in Melbourne, Gatt will operate across the Oceania region, working with clients to build more connected, adaptive and future-ready marketing ecosystems.