Mark Green, CEO of The Monkeys, is to up sticks and move to New York to become the global CEO of fellow Accenture Song agency Droga5. The Monkeys’ offices in Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney will rebrand to Droga5, bringing an end to one of the most storied and successful agency brands in Australia.
Green had worn two hats within the Accenture Song business: CEO and co-founder of The Monkeys and ANZ president of Accenture Song.
Now, he’ll be heading up the global Droga5 team, named after fellow Aussie ad legend David Droga, and replacing Sarah Thompson. Green will start his new role in October. Droga himself will now only be the global CEO of Accenture Song.
In his new role, Green will be leading an award-winning creative team that includes Pelle Sjoenell, Droga5’s worldwide chief creative officer; Scott Bell, the agency’s chief creative; and Chioma Aduba, the agency’s president. Green will oversee all Droga5 creative offices around the world, including in Dublin, London, New York, São Paulo and Tokyo.
This transition will also bring The Monkeys under the Droga5 umbrella, with The Monkeys’ offices in Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney rebranding to Droga5 on 1 December 2024.
“Droga5’s mission has always been to deliver creativity rooted in strategy and purpose, that is humanity-obsessed,” Droga said. “We create experiences that deeply connect with people and add value to their lives. Mark is a proven leader, who embodies these ambitions and will take Droga5 to the next level of excellence and meaningful influence.”
Green added: “I’m a firm believer creativity can influence business and people in big and impactful ways. We have proven that our combination of creative firepower and tech transformation is a winning formula in the current market. It’s a privilege to take on this role at Droga5 to steer it into its next chapter, and I’m particularly thrilled to have the incredibly talented team at The Monkeys on board with me for the journey.”
With Green heading to the Big Apple, Matt Michael will continue as managing director of The Monkeys during the transition period between now and 1 December when The Monkeys will become Droga5. A search is underway to find a replacement for Green as the ANZ president of Accenture Song. Perhaps one of B&T’s Best of the Best Recruiters will be involved?
No decision has been made yet about the Droga5 lead for ANZ, nor the Accenture Song lead for ANZ. The HR process is underway to fill these roles, B&T has been told by Accenture Song.
The Monkeys, founded by Justin Drape, Scott Nowell and Green in 2006, became one of the most celebrated (and awarded) agencies in the world, let alone Australia. Drape left The Monkeys in 2021 and Nowell departed late last year, leaving Green as the only remaining co-founder.
Recently, an Accenture Song consortium, including The Monkeys and Droga5, won the prestigious Tourism Australia advertising account.
At last year’s B&T Awards, The Monkeys won the NSW Agency of the Year title and Best PR campaign for its “England Bitter” work for England Bitter. How the agency will fare this year remains to be seen — tickets are available to buy now, should you want to find out.
At Cannes Lions this year, The Monkeys was the only Australian or Kiwi agency to win a Grand Prix. Its epic “Play It Safe” for the Sydney Opera House picked up the top prize in the film category. In 2023, The Monkeys took home the Dan Wieden Titanium Lion for its “First Digital Nation” campaign for the tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu.
Its work for Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) has also been widely celebrated. Its most recent lamb ad skewered some of the issues dividing Australia by roasting millennials, boomers, Gen Xers and zoomers in one fell swoop and showing the power that a good barbecue can have on national unity.
In October last year, The Monkeys’ “Footy Country” work for Telstra was crowned B&T’s Campaign of the Month.
