Jaimes Leggett is new CEO of M&C Saatchi Australia

Leggett will be based in M&C’s Sydney office and will report to the company’s chairman, Tom Dery.

Since taking over as Ogilvy & Mather London MD in 2010, Leggett restructured and refocused the agency, driving double-digit growth year-on-year while gaining creative acclaim, with O&M London winning more Cannes Lions in 2012 than in the previous 20 years.

During his tenure, the agency successfully pitched for Philips, SC Johnson, Kronenbourg, Expedia, Motorola, Grant Thornton, BP Solar, TK Maxx and Europcar.

In his role as O&M Advertising’s global head of digital, Leggett developed the network’s digital advertising strategy to roll out across all regions, resulting in double-digit growth in digital revenue, as well as a four-fold increase in Cannes Cyber Lions won across the network in 2012.

Prior to O&M, Leggett was MD of digital agency, Grand Union in London. He was also account director at LBi London where he serviced British Telecom, Unilever and COI. Leggett started his career as an account director at digital agency Netbyte before moving to Urlwin, McDonald & Clients in Auckland.

Commenting on the appointment, Dery said: “Jaimes Legett will have total autonomy to propel the business forward with support from myself, Tom McFarlane, MD David Whittle, ECD Ben Welsh and the rest of the leadership group.”