HELLO APPOINTS DAVID GRIFFITHS AS MANAGING DIRECTOR

Independent creative company Hello has appointed David Griffiths as Managing Director, strengthening its leadership team after a year of double‑digit growth. Griffiths, with over 20 years’ experience across agencies and global brands, will lead Hello’s integrated offering, deepening client partnerships and driving creative solutions that deliver measurable commercial outcomes.  

Independent creative company Hello has made another decisive move to bolster its leadership, appointing David Griffiths as Managing Director. The hire follows last week’s arrival of former WPP executive Caroline Berdayes as Chief Financial & Operating Officer, underscoring the group’s commitment to building a formidable executive team as it scales on the back of double‑digit revenue and profit growth in FY26.  

Griffiths brings more than two decades of experience across both agency and client leadership in the Asia‑Pacific region. He began his career at iris, where as Managing Partner he helped expand the agency’s capabilities across creative, sport, content and integrated marketing. He later moved client‑side, holding senior marketing roles at Uber, Stan and Samsung, where he led transformative brand and customer programmes that delivered significant commercial impact. This breadth of experience equips him with a rare perspective on bridging the gap between brands and agencies, ensuring creative solutions are tightly aligned with business outcomes.  

In his new role, Griffiths will lead Hello’s creative agency and integrated offering, working alongside Director of Social & Talent Ben Stavert to unite the company’s strategy, creative, social, influencer, events, production, PR and media & measurement capabilities. His focus will be on strengthening strategic client partnerships, growing the agency’s integrated proposition and ensuring the voice of the client and customer remains central to every engagement.  

Hello CEO Sam Kelly described Griffiths as “one of those rare leaders who has built brands from the inside and outside,” highlighting his ability to balance commercial realities with creative ambition. Kelly emphasised Griffiths’ track record of building high‑performing teams and solving meaningful commercial challenges, noting his appointment would elevate the agency’s culture, creativity and client partnerships.  

Griffiths said the opportunity came at a pivotal moment for the industry, with traditional boundaries between creativity, social, media, production and technology disappearing. He praised Hello’s ambition to challenge the conventional agency model and its reputation across social, content and influencer marketing, positioning it to become one of Australia’s leading integrated creative agencies. “When you combine talented people with the right culture, clear ambition and deep client partnerships, career‑defining work follows,” he said.