Award-winning strategy leader Leif Stromnes to depart DDB Group Australia after 25 years

DDB Group Australia’s long-serving Managing Director of Strategy and Innovation, Leif Stromnes, is set to depart the agency at the end of July, drawing to a close an extraordinary 25-year career with the Group.

Stromnes’ departure comes as part of a broader restructure within the agency group. His exit marks the end of a remarkable tenure that has seen him rise through the ranks from Head of Strategic Planning to Chief Strategy Officer, and later Group Managing Director and Group MD of Strategy and Innovation.

A globally respected strategist and widely admired industry leader, Stromnes first joined DDB Australia in late 1999 after relocating from South Africa, where he held roles at Ogilvy & Mather and TBWA. Since then, he has played a pivotal role in some of the agency’s most significant milestones — including three Campaign Brief Agency of the Year titles — and has led work across an enviable client list including Tourism Australia, McDonald’s, Westpac, Telstra, Coles, Volkswagen, Virgin Airlines, Kmart and Porsche.

Over the past two decades, Stromnes has also contributed to the wider advertising community. He was a founding member of the Effie Awards and the Account Planning Group (APG) in Australia, co-chaired DDB’s Global Strategic Council, and authored Emotional Advantage, DDB’s proprietary strategic planning framework.

Says Sheryl Marjoram, CEO, DDB Group Sydney: “Leif is one of our most loved people. He has been larger than life, creating a significant and lasting impact on our business, on our clients’ businesses, and on our culture. So many of us will enjoy a long and continued friendship with Leif – none of that will change. I really want to say thank you, Leif!”

Stromnes’ departure follows a broader restructure at DDB, which has also seen the exits of Tribal DDB national ECD David ‘Jacko’ Jackson and DDB Sydney creative partner Jenny Mak, who recently joined trans-Tasman agency jnr. as ECD and partner.

In a statement shared on LinkedIn, Stromnes reflected on his departure: “Why have you stayed at the same agency for most of your working life?” is a question I have been asked many times over the years.

“I have always felt proud to be part of DDB. Proud of our people. Proud of our work. Proud of our clients. Proud of the pitches we won. Proud of our awards. And proud that I never wasted a single moment feeling like I was in the wrong place.

“Strategies come and go, but the way a place makes you feel lasts forever.

“I’ve always believed that advertising is a marathon, not a sprint, and in a world obsessed with short-termism, sustainable growth is best achieved by the magical power of compounding long-term relationships.

“Although our industry is being challenged, it’s still a human-to-human business and the desire to collaborate and solve problems using the unreasonable power of creativity will endure.”

Stromnes’ next move is yet to be announced.