Sydney, July 15, 2024 – In a significant move to enhance its advanced solutions for clients, Bench Media has announced the promotion of two senior executives. Sebastian Diaz, formerly the Senior Digital Solutions Specialist, assumes the newly established role of Head of Media Innovation, while Nate Vella, previously the Senior Digital Strategist, has been elevated to Brand Strategy Lead.
These promotions come in the wake of several new business wins, including Best Gift Group, Genea Fertility, and FlexiRoam, all of which have recently joined the agency’s expanding client roster.
Anthony Fargeot, VP of Growth at Bench Media, commented on the strategic importance of these promotions: “When talking to marketers, we realised that even with strong internal marketing resources, they are often one degree removed from the latest innovations happening in the digital advertising ecosystem. As an agency, it’s a big part of our day-to-day to be in contact with media, tech and data vendors and how their offerings and capabilities are quickly evolving to stay ahead of the curve. We keep our finger on the pulse and share our knowledge with brands, infusing it in their marketing strategy so they can ongoingly improve their ROI.
“Sebastian and Nate are perfectly positioned to provide the latest knowledge to clients, their promotions are well deserved and testament to their vast experience and skillsets across the digital ecosystem.”
Sebastian Diaz, who brings experience from NewsCorp and OMD, is renowned as a thought leader in the industry and a member of the IAB Ad Effectiveness Council. His promotion to Head of Media Innovation at Bench Media will be crucial in developing new media products tailored to brands’ evolving needs for sophisticated solutions.
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Reflecting on his promotion, Diaz stated: “In the past three years, I’ve witnessed cookie-less ID solutions come to the fore; the attention-based economy thrive; and green trading finally taking a front seat.
“2024 marks the era of generative and predictive AI and the influx of commerce solutions and retail media networks. In an industry that rapidly needs to evolve to meet client needs, it can be challenging to navigate at the best of times, so it is great to be part of an independent agency that prides itself on being client-led and always keen to encourage the testing of new technology to market. We have a great working relationship with our clients, who trust us with strategies that aren’t the stock standard. I’m excited to shape Bench’s innovative media solutions and solidify us as digital leaders in market.”
Anthony Fargeot added, “Seb is definitely the man for the job. His understanding of media is one of the strongest I have ever encountered and his ability to connect the dots to create much needed and innovative solutions is a massive asset for brands.”
Nate Vella’s promotion to Brand Strategy Lead is equally significant. His deep understanding of client needs and challenges will enable him to integrate seamlessly with brand marketing teams, designing efficient advertising strategies that align with overall business objectives.
Vella expressed his enthusiasm for the new role: “More and more, brands are seeking a centralised and stable strategy team to integrate with their day-to-day ways of working. Bench has the experience and capabilities to be able to support this, while also creating further valuable connections with our network of partners to drive success and achieve tangible business outcomes.
“I’m looking forward to taking on this new role and contributing to the continued growth of our offering as an agency, and in doing so, providing forward-thinking and tailored solutions for our clients.”
Liam Garratt, General Manager at Bench Media, highlighted Vella’s exceptional capabilities: “It is impressive to see Nate operate and how he can embed himself with brand marketers and speak their language, understand their challenges and come up with ingenious solutions to address them. His role will be a huge contributor to our continued success working with brands and I’m very excited to see him take on this new role.”
The promotions of Diaz and Vella are effective immediately, marking a new chapter in Bench Media’s commitment to innovation and client success.