Matt Houltham has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Starcom Australia. He is set to commence his role in July, reporting directly to Imogen Hewitt, Chief Media Officer at Publicis Groupe ANZ.

Houltham brings 25 years of experience in managing media and strategy agencies across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. His career includes leading digital media operations at ZenithOptimedia, now known as Zenith Australia, which is part of the Publicis Groupe. Most recently, he served as the global Chief Marketing Officer at the market research platform, Glow.

In his new role, Houltham will join the executive leadership team at Starcom Australia, working alongside Chief Operating Officer Louise Romeo and Chief Client & Growth Officer Scott McCaffrey.

Publicis Groupe ANZ, a connected platform of companies, delivers marketing and digital business transformation solutions. The group operates in major cities including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland, and Wellington, and employs over 1,900 professionals.

Imogen Hewitt expressed confidence in Houltham’s appointment, stating, "In his various leadership positions, Matt has consistently demonstrated his ability to deliver continuous innovation and achieve outstanding results for clients. He is also a leader with a reputation for positively engaging and developing talent. Matt’s experience across media and creative – alongside his leadership in digital media transformation – is a rare and powerful blend that will ensure the continued growth of the Starcom business in Australia. We are delighted to welcome Matt to the team."

Houltham said, "Starcom Australia has a fantastic legacy of strong client partnerships built on delivering effective, insight-led media solutions. That success stems from a stellar team who is ambitious, curious and deeply collaborative. I’m excited to join the crew to build on that foundation. With expanded data and technology capabilities through recent Publicis Groupe acquisitions, we are well positioned to elevate Starcom Australia’s impact even further – ensuring that everything we do moves people and business metrics. I cannot wait to get started," he said.