Tara McKenty, the former Chief Innovation Officer at BMF, has been appointed as the new Executive Creative Director at AKQA Australia. This move comes as AKQA continues its integration with whiteGREY, aiming to strengthen its leadership team and creative vision.
Tara brings over 16 years of creative industry experience, having worked at Google for over a decade, where she led the APAC creative team. During her time at BMF, Tara played a key role in driving innovation and co-led creative projects. She has also worked at renowned agencies like TBWA and Saatchi & Saatchi and has been a part of prestigious juries, including the Cannes Lions Innovation Jury.
In her new role at AKQA, Tara will collaborate with senior leaders across the Sydney and Melbourne offices. She will work closely with Tim Devine, the APAC Executive Creative Director, and other key figures to shape the agency’s creative direction and drive innovation across the region. Tara’s leadership and her commitment to inclusive and impactful work align with AKQA’s mission of creating a better future through creativity, technology, and humanity.
Tara’s experience working on award-winning projects, such as Google’s Project Skate and the ‘Inglorious Fruits & Vegetables’ campaign, demonstrates her ability to blend creativity and innovation in powerful ways. She is also the founder of D&AD RARE, an initiative aimed at supporting underrepresented groups in the creative industry.
At AKQA, Tara aims to continue pushing boundaries by working on projects that not only engage audiences but also drive meaningful change in society. The agency’s unique integration of creativity, technology, and in-house engineering resources offers Tara the opportunity to create groundbreaking work that impacts clients and communities alike.
AKQA is excited to have Tara on board, believing her leadership will play a significant role in helping them grow, inspire teams, and deliver innovative solutions for clients in the APAC region and beyond.
Top image (L-R): Nicole Armstrong (executive strategy director), Tara McKenty, Justine Leong (general manager Sydney), and Iona Macgregor (chief strategy officer).
