PAUL BRADBURY RETURNS TO AGENCY LEADERSHIP AS VML ANZ APPOINTS NEW CEO

WPP has appointed former TBWAAUNZ chief Paul Bradbury as CEO of VML Australia and New Zealand, succeeding Tom Tearle. The move marks a major industry leadership shift, with Bradbury taking charge of six offices across the region as VML continues its expansion and Tearle oversees a smooth transition after nearly five years in the role.

Paul Bradbury’s return to agency leadership has taken a significant new turn, with the seasoned executive today being appointed CEO of VML Australia and New Zealand, replacing Tom Tearle. The move marks one of the most notable leadership changes within the region’s advertising and marketing ecosystem in recent years, and positions Bradbury at the helm of a WPP flagship at a moment of renewed competition, consolidation, and creative ambition across the sector.

The announcement comes six months after Bradbury resigned as CEO and president of TBWAAUNZ, a role that capped a 20-year run at the Omnicom-owned network. His departure last year had fuelled speculation about his next chapter, particularly within a market that has become increasingly defined by talent migration between advertising holding groups. Incoming Ogilvy Australia CEO Kirsty Muddle — another strategic WPP appointment — begins next month, further signalling the group’s intent to bolster its creative and strategic capabilities across the region.

Bradbury takes over with immediate effect, overseeing VML’s six offices across Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Brisbane, Perth, and Wellington. Tearle, who led VML locally for almost five years, will remain at the company for several weeks to support the handover and ensure what leadership described as a “seamless transition” for staff, clients, and broader operations. Industry observers have long viewed VML as one of the region’s most consistently successful agencies. Under Tearle’s stewardship, VML ANZ has earned a string of accolades, including an unprecedented run of Network of the Year titles, building a reputation for creativity underpinned by technology, data, and cross-disciplinary thinking. Tearle said his time in the job left him with “immense pride and gratitude,” describing the agency’s evolution as a collective achievement that drew strength from team culture as much as output. “We’ve achieved remarkable things together, building an agency renowned for its creativity, innovation, and an incredible team culture,” he said on his departure. “Witnessing our collective drive and success has been rewarding, and I am proud of the business we’ve created. I have full confidence that Paul, with his vast experience and vision, will lead VML ANZ to even greater heights.”

Bradbury’s appointment is widely regarded as a significant win for WPP. Over his decade leading TBWA across the region — half his total tenure at the network — he guided the agency through a period of strong client acquisition, creative recognition, and structural reinvention. TBWA’s work under his leadership spanned some of the world’s most high-profile brands, including Apple, Amazon, Kraft Heinz, Telstra, ANZ, Tourism New Zealand and NAB. It was a portfolio that elevated the agency’s standing not only across Australia and New Zealand but in the global creative ecosystem. Speaking to industry title LBB in May of last year, Bradbury disclosed that the business had grown revenues by 30%, an outcome he attributed to a deliberate effort to reset the commercial fundamentals of the agency. That roadmap involved a significant overhaul of pricing models, a sharpened focus on new business, and substantial investment in strategic talent and creative craft — nearly half of the agency’s payroll, by his account. TBWA also embraced bespoke models with major clients, most prominently Telstra’s “+61” integrated unit, which became a case study in long-term agency-client partnerships built for business transformation rather than campaign delivery.

Bradbury enters VML at a moment when the agency’s own strategy is underpinned by scale, multidisciplinary breadth, and integration across creative, commerce, and experience services — a direction increasingly favoured by global holding groups amid client-side pressures for efficiency and cross-channel cohesion. “I’ve watched VML ANZ’s impressive rise with admiration,” Bradbury said. “Tom and the team have built a strong legacy of consistent success, culminating in an unprecedented run of Network of the Year titles. VML offers the scale, capability, and ambition to continue to build something genuinely differentiated for clients and talent across Australia and New Zealand. I am also energised to be joining WPP — the incredible global new business momentum at the back end of last year is testament to the progressive leadership and future-focused innovation across the company.”

That global dynamism has also played out against a backdrop of consolidation within the creative agency landscape. Since Bradbury’s exit from TBWA, Omnicom globally has completed its acquisition of IPG and retired longstanding agency brands including DDB, FCB, and MullenLowe. In the local market, TBWA remains structurally intact, though it has not been immune to integration dynamics affecting the region. Omnicom Oceania CEO Nick Garrett oversaw the merger of DDB Australia into Clemenger BBDO, and in New Zealand, DDB and FCB joined forces to form McCann New Zealand. TBWAMelbourne CEO Kimberlee Wells was elevated to a national CEO role after Bradbury’s departure, reporting to Garrett alongside New Zealand CEO Catherine Harris. Against that backdrop, observers have noted that Bradbury’s shift from Omnicom to rival WPP intensifies competitive stakes in a market where leadership and talent influence can often translate directly into client migration.

For VML, the appointment is equally about continuity and acceleration. APAC CEO Yi Chung Tay praised Tearle’s contributions and framed the transition as both stable and strategic. “I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Tom for his contributions to VML ANZ. His impact has left the agency in a strong, growing position,” Tay said. “As we embark on this next chapter, I am thrilled to welcome Paul Bradbury to the VML network. Paul’s proven track record, strategic vision, and deep industry experience make him the ideal leader to build on this success and drive VML ANZ forward.”

Bradbury’s final months at TBWA saw the agency achieve several notable new business wins, but also a competitive setback when TBWA pulled the Defence Force Recruiting account away from VML in November. Some industry analysts view the latest move as a potential realignment of competitive balance between the two networks, while others see it as reflective of a sector defined less by rivalry and more by shifting leadership alliances and portfolio strategy.

For now, Bradbury re-enters the industry with fresh ambition, a new holding company behind him, and a mandate to guide VML ANZ through the next phase of its growth. Tearle departs an agency he helped shape into a regional powerhouse, leaving a legacy that Bradbury will now inherit — and, by most accounts, evolve. In a market where leadership changes can ripple across clients, competitors and talent, this one is likely to resonate for some time.