Reprise's Maria Grivas replaces Katie Rigg-Smith as Mindshare ANZ CEO

Maria Grivas has been appointed as CEO of Mindshare Australia & New Zealand. Grivas will take on the role in October and joins the shop from Reprise, IPG Mediabrands’ performance agency, where she is currently CEO of its Australia unit.

Grivas replaces Katie Rigg-Smith, who was recently promoted to chief strategy officer of WPP Australia & New Zealand, after 23 years with Mindshare. Grivas’ remit will include leading Mindshare’s 250-strong network across Sydney, Melbourne, and New Zealand, as well as performance agency Neo, m/SIX and luxury agency L’Atelier. Mindshare says it manages close to $400 million in media investment billings in the region and counts brands including Nab, Foxtel, Streamotion, Tourism New Zealand and Nike as clients.  

Aimee Buchanan, GroupM Australia & New Zealand CEO, said Grivas was hired for her knowledge in data-led transformation in media and brand communications, which ties in with Mindshare’s focus on commerce, transformation, tech and experience. “She is passionate about baking purpose into the core of our proposition, which aligns so well with Mindshare’s Good Growth ambition,” she added.

Grivas said she is passionate about the role media agencies play in marketing effectiveness for brands. “What I love about where Mindshare is heading with ‘Good Growth’ is the conscious redefinition of effectiveness for the 21st Century,” she explained. She was attracted to Mindshare’s new focus on “on purpose over profit” and business growth that Grivas claimed “enables our people’s wellbeing, their resilience and ultimately equips them with capabilities for the future. “